


Souls Entwined

by palo_89, Verseau_87



Category: Glee
Genre: Blangst, Co-workers, Confessions, Consensual Infidelity, Dating, Drama & Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Games, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Marriage, New York City, OC/OC - Freeform, Party, Poor Life Choices, Relationship(s), Romance, Sex, Slow Burn, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:29:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 295,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26292670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/palo_89/pseuds/palo_89, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verseau_87/pseuds/Verseau_87
Summary: Kurt had long stopped believing in soulmates, but will his sister-in-law's brother change all of that?Or will it always be a farce?
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel, Finn Hudson/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 156
Kudos: 89





	1. Chapter 1

\- INTRODUCTION -

Since the beginning of time, human beings have experienced different types of love, but none is as strong and special as the bond that joins two soulmates. We all have our soulmate out there, but only a few are lucky enough to find it. It's not just about being in the same time and space, but about believing; you could be in front of your soulmate and not know it if you don't allow yourself to believe in it. If this happens, only your soulmate can change your mind, as long as you give them the chance.

There have been many people that have tried to explain the phenomenon of soulmates. But as of yet, it was still unexplainable but very real. Nobody knows exactly who the very first pair of soulmates was on earth, but it hasn't changed throughout the ages. 

Soulmates is a term used to describe two halves of a whole, two separate beings who come together perfectly. They suit each other, help each other, and love each other. It has been scribed that when soulmates connect, there will be such a strong feeling throughout your body that gives you goosebumps and possible other side effects, including headaches, nausea, itchy hands, sweating profusely, or feeling cold all over. But the most common effect is warmth. Overall warmth, like you have just drunk a hot drink on a cold day, and it fills you up with warmth from your head to toes. 

Some do not believe in this phenomenon, sceptics have claimed that it's all a ploy to make people more susceptible to lies, or some even said it was a conspiracy to make the human race easier to control. But most of the population still believe in the soulmate bond, and strive to find it for themselves.

******

Blaine Anderson used to define himself as "someone who enjoyed life". Sometimes maybe he went a little over the top with that analogy, but he didn't let societal pressures or the fact that sometimes people would call it 'abnormal behaviour' stop him enjoying his life. 

There were many people that would judge him all the time, sometimes even his own family, but he finally managed to get himself a good job, and he had a personality that screamed charm. 

It also helped to have a pretty face that allowed him to have any guy he wanted. And he always used it to his advantage, there wasn't a single head within the gay community that he couldn't turn. Well, maybe not people that had already found their soulmates. 

He was stuck in that vortex between not being interested in finding his soulmate and waiting for the day he did meet him. It was a weird place to be in. There had been many many years where he wasn't sure he would ever find his soulmate, most people in this world still hadn't, but he believed in it. He believed that eventually he would find his soulmate, but he would be damned if he waited forever. 

So now at 26, and living in New York, having his own apartment and a different person in his bed every night, he was convinced he didn't need anything or want anything in his life. At least not until he could find his soulmate. 

As it was, his recent conquest had been a guy that served him coffee in the café around the corner from his apartment. He had been flirting with the guy for weeks, and now he had finally managed to get him to come to his place.

Blaine awoke to his phone ringing from the floor. He sat up with a groan, feeling the body beside him turn over and got up to dig through his jeans pockets to get it. 

"Hello." He answered with a croaky voice. 

"Hi, Blaine, it's me. Tell me you weren't still sleeping." His sister's voice came through the line. 

Blaine sighed. Of course Brooke had to call him. He had always been very close to his older sister, but in recent years she was becoming his biggest pain in the ass. Brooke was bossy and had a knack for criticizing any decision Blaine made, especially on the romantic side. 

Blaine always thought that Brooke had been very lucky. She met Finn, her husband, when they were both just out of high school, and he was not only her first love but also her soulmate. Every time Blaine saw them together, he couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. 

"Well, if I tell you that, it would be a lie." Blaine said a little sarcastically. 

"You're not a teenager anymore, do you know that?" Brooke sighed out loud and shook her head. There were very few people in the world who could drive her out of her mind as much as her brother. 

"Yes, mother." He said as he rolled his eyes, "Did you just call me to argue with me about sleeping in? It's Saturday." 

"No." She answered him just as sarcastically and despondently, "I'm calling to remind you of Finn's birthday party. Maybe you could come by a little earlier, I could use a hand." 

"I thought that wasn't until tomorrow?" 

Blaine saw movement out of the corner of his eye, as the guy in the bed behind him turned over to face him quietly. Blaine looked at him for a few seconds before turning his face and staring at the wall. He couldn't deny that the guy was really hot, and last night with him was amazing but right now he would rather be alone in his huge bed. 

"Really, Blaine? It's tonight!" She screeched a little. 

"Oh. Shit." 

"I can't believe you forgot the day, we have had more conversations about this than even I can remember..." His sister started to go off on a tangent about how Blaine's head space was so filled with dicks that he forgot the most basic information. 

Blaine tuned her out as he rubbed a hand over his face, trying to fight off the headache that was starting before he felt a hand in his hair and shook it off irritably. He hated people touching his hair. 

He looked back at the guy that was still in his bed and narrowed his gaze, giving him a scowl but the guy only shrugged and stood from the bed, stretching out his back. Blaine couldn't help but give the guy's body an appreciative look, but the moment was soon over. 

Yeah, he was hot, but mornings were never Blaine's favorite time of the day. He was always irritable, and this guy still being in his space was pissing him off. 

"D'you want some coffee?" He mumbled as walked past Blaine, grabbing his shirt and boxers before walking to the door and Blaine nodded at him. 

He heard a small gasp down the phone line and there was a slight pause before his sister screeched at him again. 

"Wait... who said that? Are you with someone?" Brooke asked with an angry tone and Blaine sighed. 

"Brooke, as I said before, it's my business who I sleep with." He responded with more bite than he meant to, but who could blame him? He was already in a bad mood. 

"I'm sure you don't even remember his name. Are you trying to fuck all the guys in the city?" 

"So what if I were?" He asked getting angry now that his head was pounding. 

"This has to stop." She said sternly but gently, "I'm your sister and I love you, but you're wasting your life, and you actually deserve better than this." 

"...Look, I know you think I should be looking for the perfect person for me, so that I can settle. But you know some people never ever find their soulmate, so what's the point in waiting when I have needs like everyone else?" 

"Needs? Please, Blainey... you know there's someone out there for you, but you won't find him in some nasty bar." 

Blaine snorted a little at her disgusted tone. 

"Not all the guys I get are from bars, you know. Not everyone can find their soulmate before college, you know." His tone was turning a little resentful and mean, and he could tell she was a little blindsided but she bit back with almost the same level of fierceness in her tone. 

"So this is my fault now? Look, I'm not arguing with you about this again, especially on the phone... I'll see you this afternoon, right?" 

"...Yes. What time should I get there?" Blaine said almost hesitantly now, calming himself down. 

"Five? So you can help me decorate... and maybe we can talk a bit more." 

She didn't ask as much as demanded with her last statement and Blaine rolled his eyes. She would always want to talk about his lifestyle, trying to get him to give up having sex with strangers to find his true love. Her talks and sniping didn't do any good though, Blaine didn't see anything wrong with the way he lived. 

"Yeah, ok. See you later." 

"Ok. And Blaine... you know I just want you to be happy, right?" 

Blaine paused at that, and breathed deeply for a few seconds before sighing out loud, the uncomfortable feeling in his chest built up and he coughed to try and relieve it. 

"I'll just see you later." He said as he hung up, throwing his phone down on the covers of the bed and moved to stand. 

His sister was a constant obstacle in his life, and one he wouldn't ever get rid of. But there was now an obstacle in the shape of a hot guy in his space that he could get rid of. He needed his own space, and with a scowl set on his face and his head pounding he walked out of the bedroom to deal with that.

******

When Kurt Hummel was growing up, he had been a wide eyed, innocent, star struck believer in soulmates. The legends and tales of it were so amazing to him that he told everyone around him how fascinating it was and that some day he would meet his own soulmate. 

When he was 8, his mother died and that started a whole chain of events that led to his disbelief in the existence of soulmates. First, there was depression until he was 12 years old. Then, when his father fell in love and married his step mother, and even though he loved the woman dearly, it was still an indicator that his mind told him soulmates didn't matter. 

His step brother, Finn, had found his own soulmate years ago, when they were both just out of high school. Kurt never really believed they were meant to be, but they were happy and Kurt was happy for them. They had been together for nearly 12 years, and married for almost 10. 

Kurt also had a niece and a nephew from their partnership, whom he loved with all of his soul. They were amazing little kids and always managed to lighten up Kurt's life when he needed it. 

His brother's 30th birthday would be coming up soon, so Kurt had been spending a lot of time talking to his sister-in-law Brooke about the decorations and invitations and music and such. Brooke was a lawyer, so she worked a lot of overtime, and whenever she needed help with parties and events, Kurt was always on hand. 

Especially for Finn's party. 

Kurt heard his phone ring as soon as he got out of the shower. He quickly tied a towel around his waist before answering.

“Hello?” Kurt said, holding the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he tightened the knot on the towel. 

"Hey, Kurt, it's Brooke.” She smiled on the other end of the phone. At least Kurt didn't seem to just wake up. “I just wanted to ask if you were busy this afternoon?" 

"Hi, Brooke. Not really, why?" 

"Well, the thing is I need extra help decorating the place before Finn gets home, and I roped Blaine into it but I can never tell if my lazy assed brother will show up. Would you be able to help me?" 

"Oh, I heard about Blaine moving to the city, how is he?" Kurt asked curiously and heard a small sigh from the phone line. 

"He's doing okay, he got a good job and an apartment here with a view of Central Park." 

"Wow." 

Kurt had only met Brooke's brother, Blaine, maybe three times since Finn and Brooke started dating. A couple of times were just at family gatherings, and once was at the wedding. Blaine was totally different to his sister, and Kurt was fascinated by their family dynamic. 

He had always found it entertaining to watch her mother him and him scowl back at her. 

"Yeah." Her voice turned a little softer for a moment before she asked, "so can you help me this afternoon?" 

"Oh... yeah, I think so. I still have to talk to Jamie, because I'm still trying to convince him to come with me, but I can be there anytime you tell me." 

There was a pause and Kurt knew why Brooke wasn't answering immediately. Jamie's name always brought tension in conversations with his family, especially around big events like weddings and parties and Christmas and Thanksgiving. 

Kurt had been with Jamie for three years now and his boyfriend had hardly met any of his family. His father always asked why it was, but Kurt always seemed to avoid giving a proper answer. If anyone asked about him and their relationship, Kurt didn't hesitate to say that they were so happy together. Jamie was... well, he had his quirks, and Kurt felt especially bothered by the fact that he and his family didn't quite get along. 

"Oh.” Brooke finally said, but she avoided adding anything about her brother-in-law's boyfriend. “Well, can you be here at five?" 

"Sure. I'll be there." Kurt nodded. 

"Great. I'll see you later." 

"Ok. Bye." 

Kurt hung up the phone and sighed. Now came the hardest part: convincing his boyfriend to go to the party with him. He had been trying most of the last 2 weeks, and Jamie either said he would still think about it or completely change the subject. 

Jamie had come over earlier today, ready to spend the day with him. Kurt knew that Jamie was assuming they weren't going to the party, and had settled into his bedroom to work for a bit, intending to be free for lunch and probably watch movies in bed for hours. But Kurt had other plans. 

Hoping he could make him change his mind, Kurt headed to the bedroom, where he knew he would find Jamie working on his computer.

"Hey. It was Brooke.” Kurt said in his sweetest voice. “She needs me to help her with Finn's party." 

"So she can't handle planning a party on her own?" Jamie replied, not bothering to look up from his computer screen. It was a habit Kurt hated, but he let it slide this time. 

"Come on, it's my brother's birthday. I'm happy to help." 

"And you've been over there like 4 times this week already. Between that and the hours we both work, I've barely seen you." 

There it was again. It wasn't the first time Jamie had blamed him for not spending enough time together, but Kurt disagreed. 

It was true that Kurt liked spending time with his brother and his family, especially his nephew and niece, but he didn't like having to choose between them and his boyfriend. Jamie was the one who left him no choice though, as he avoided them whenever he could. 

"Well, I have the solution." Kurt walked over to Jamie and placed his hands on his shoulders, trying to soften the situation with a little touch. "You could come to the party with me." 

"I thought we'd already discussed this, Kurt," Jamie said as he placed one hand on top of one of Kurt's, "your brother and his wife make me feel uncomfortable, and you know how I get when I’m uncomfortable." 

You're the one who makes it uncomfortable, Kurt was about to say, but shook his head dismissing the idea. He didn't need to make it even more difficult. 

"I know, but couldn't you make the effort for me? I know that if you tried to get to know them more, you would like them." 

Jamie sighed and pushed Kurt's hand off of his shoulders. "No, I really don't want to subject myself to those looks. Besides, the kids creep me out." 

"Jamie, you're talking about my family." Kurt said, trying to hide his discomfort. Whenever he attacked his family, Kurt tensed, and it happened more and more often. 

"I'm just being honest, Kurt, and you're trying to push me into doing something I don't want to do." 

Kurt watched as Jamie crossed his arms and looked at him with that air of arrogance so very his and knew that he wasn’t getting nothing that way, so he decided to appeal to emotional blackmail. 

"You just said we barely see each other lately, so I'm giving you the chance to spend a whole evening with me! Please." He added, even though it wasn't very like him to beg. 

"A chance to be surrounded by judgemental stares. If you want to make up our time together, then stay here tonight and we'll watch a movie. I'm sure your brother will have other birthdays."

"I'm going to that party, with or without you." Kurt knew he just sounded like a spoiled child, but he was sick of always giving in for the same thing. 

"Well, then it will be without me." 

There was a hint of disdain in Jamie's words that Kurt didn't miss. 

"Good. In that case, I think you should leave now. I have things to do." 

That hurt Jamie, who looked at Kurt in disbelief. 

"I thought you said I could stay for the night, I've got all my stuff here!" 

"I said it because I thought I would talk some sense into you and you would come to the party with me, but since I'm not going to be here and I'll be back late, you better go home." 

"Seriously? You know what? Fine." Jamie said slamming his laptop shut and grabbing the bag beside the bed, stomping past Kurt to go and put his shoes on, "I didn't think this party was that big a deal, obviously you haven't managed to cut the apron strings off yet." 

Kurt wasn’t a violent person, but he would have wanted to hit Jamie right then. He knew that Jamie had hardly any relationship with his own family, but that didn't give him the right to criticize the bond Kurt had with his. 

"Wow. Excuse me for having a good relationship with my family. I guess it's too much to ask that my boyfriend tries to be a part of it too!" 

"You can have a good relationship with your family, but I didn't think you would try and destroy everything we have over a stupid party." Jamie reached the door and looked back for a second, "you know, if this is ever going to work out, maybe you should try and see things from my point of view sometimes." 

Jamie walked out and shut the door.

Kurt wanted to chase him and argue his point some more, but he remained unmoving and feeling like he wanted to scream out loud in frustration. His eyes began stinging, but he shook off the feeling. He would not allow himself to cry, he would never give anybody the satisfaction of making him upset. 

He turned back around and walked into his bedroom to get ready to head over to Finn and Brooke's place. Maybe some cuddles with the kids would help him pick up his mood.

******

Kurt pulled his blue Lexus up alongside the silver Audi in the driveway of Finn's house at exactly 4:56pm. He checked his phone one last time before he got out, and sighing out loud, he made his way to the little porch steps.

The outside of the house was wooden, but painted white and grey to give it a very clean and modern look. It had a wrap around porch, with tiny steps at the front. The front door was painted a creamy blue colour, just to be different. Finn's idea. His older brother was always a little childish, but it suited him.

Finn was 5 years older than him and was his step brother, but they dropped the step part years ago. Their parents met when Kurt was 12, 4 years after losing his mother to a very fast progressing brain cancer, but Carole had been wonderful at easing that missing piece in his heart.

Finn and Brooke got married when Finn turned 21, and 6 months later they found this house. Kurt had helped them with looking through places, but they both settled on this one. It was a great house, with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a massive living room and kitchen, back yard and front yard and a triple space driveway. It was their dream home. And now with two children, Anna who was now 6 and Jack who was 2, they had the space for their children to play as well.

Kurt always wanted a house just like this, although Brooke had wanted his help with the decorating, which he had loved.

A short whistle behind him made him stop and turn around as he placed a foot on the first porch step. There, walking up the driveway, was Brooke's younger brother, Blaine. Kurt would remember that face anywhere. He had first met Blaine at the engagement party when they were still both teenagers. And since then, he had only seen Blaine a small number of times, at family events and one Christmas party.

Blaine looked good now. All grown up. He smirked at Kurt as he stopped and waited for him at the end of the driveway, and he nodded his head in greeting.

"Now there's a face I haven't seen for ages. How's it going, Kurt?" Blaine said, coming to a stop next to him and smiling.

"Hey, Blaine. Yeah, it's been a while. I'm fine, what about you?"

Kurt took a quick glance at him. Blaine was wearing a black shirt that fitted his body perfectly, skinny blue jeans and black sneakers. His black curls were carefully unkempt, which gave Blaine that 'I know I'm hot and I want to make it look like I don't care' look.

Without realizing it, Kurt ran his hands over his patterned shirt, trying to keep it as unwrinkled as possible. He knew his jeans were so tight that it was impossible that they moved an inch from their place, just like his hair, elegantly combed up. Not that he wanted to make a good impression on Blaine, but Kurt needed to feel comfortable with his look, so he always tried to be perfect.

"All good. Still getting used to the city." Blaine said with a shrug and Kurt nodded in understanding.

"Brooke told me about it. Do you miss Virginia?"

Of course Brooke had talked to Kurt about him. Blaine wasn't sure he wanted to know what else his sister had told him.

"Erm...not so much miss it, it's just different. How long have you lived in New York?"

"I moved to the city for college, been here a little over 7 years now." Kurt told him with a proud smile. He loved the city and always had, it took a while to get used to at first, but it was his home now, "It's a great place if you like noise and people."

"How do you handle all of the noise at night?" Blaine asked with an amused groan, "I swear I hear cop cars going past my apartment every hour."

Blaine always knew that if he ever moved to New York, he wanted to live near Central Park. It was a wonderful location, well serviced and with a lot of beautiful places nearby to discover, but Blaine had soon realized that it also had its drawback. The constant noise was one of them, but also the smell.

"Ear plugs are my best friend." Kurt replied with an understanding smile. "I got used to them a long time ago."

"I guess I'd better buy a pair."

"You'll thank me." Kurt checked the time on his phone. "Erm... do you think we should go in? I like chatting with you, but your sister is waiting for us."

"She called you too, huh? She never trusts me to come when she asks, haha." Blaine moved up the steps to knock on the door, waiting for it to open and giving Kurt a grin.

"I'm sure it's not that. She probably needs a lot of help. Brooke can be very... enthusiastic when it comes to preparing events." Kurt said with an amused smile as he stepped onto the porch beside Blaine.

"She's always been over the top." Blaine said with a laugh. 

The door opened not to reveal Brooke but two tiny little faces peering around the door, that both split into big grins upon seeing the two men standing there.

"Uncle Blaine! Uncle Kurt!" Anna shouted as she collided with Blaine's legs, her bouncy brown curly hair falling around her shoulders, and her younger brother Jack only squealed with excitement and ran to grab Kurt's legs.

"Hey, guys. Oh my god, you're even more beautiful than the last time I saw you, how is that possible?" Kurt gasped as he reached down and scooped little Jack into his arms, kissing his dark hair.

"Hey, sunshine!" Blaine picked Anna up by her arms and threw her up in the air before catching her as she squeaked with laughter, "how are you?"

"Good. Mommy is making a mess." She giggled and Blaine chuckled.

"Kurt, I... car." Jack mumbled, hiding his face on his uncle's neck after speaking.

“Oh, do you have a new car, Jack? I’d love to see it, sweetheart."

Jack was a shy little boy, unlike his sister, who was confident and talkative. Jack could speak but only a little bit, when he did it was more of a mumble but Kurt had spent so much time with them that he understood exactly what the little boy was saying.

"Hey, Jack." Blaine said turning to his little nephew in Kurt's arms and holding a fist out to him, the little face turned and grinned at him and he held a tiny little fist out to bump against Blaine's, "yeah!"

"Uncle Kurt, I have a new princess doll. She has a sparkly pink dress and shoes. Do you wanna see?" Anna said loudly and Blaine set her down on her feet, before standing back and allowing Kurt to go into the house first.

"A sparkly pink dress? And shoes? Please, tell me you'll let me play with her." Still with Jack in his arms, Kurt turned to smile at Blaine before entering the house.

Blaine smiled back at him as he followed him through the door. Walking down the short hallway of the entrance, Brooke appeared looking a little stressed out and sighed with relief, her dark hair was up in a messy bun on her head and her cheeks were a little red. Obviously she had been doing a lot of things in the house for the party.

"Thank god you're here." She said as she looked at both of them, "I've been trying to do some stuff on my own, but between that and making the cake and watching the kids it's been a bit of a task."

She headed over to them both and gave them both a welcome hug before turning back and walking towards the kitchen. Blaine and Kurt followed after her, Kurt tried putting Jack on the floor but the little munchkin wouldn't let go of him, and he laughed a little.

"Well, we're here now." Blaine shrugged.

"How can we help?" Kurt asked with a smile.

“I don’t know, there are a lot of things to do. And these two are especially demanding today."

"Are you two being little pains in the butt?" Blaine asked them with a smile, and Anna shrugged but Jack buried his smiling face against Kurt's neck again, but you could hear him giggle.

"Blaine, that's enough," Brooke said with crossed arms and tossed him a packet of ribbon streamers, "you can start hanging these everywhere, I started some, but I need to go and finish the cake."

"Sure." Blaine grunted as he walked into the living room, muttering under his breath as he walked away, "please, Blaine, thank you, Blaine, you're the best brother ever, Blaine."

Kurt tried not to laugh as Brooke glared at the back of Blaine's head, both of them heard everything he said.

"Do you want me to take the kids to the living room and keep an eye on them while we put everything together? You seem ready to explode, and seeing their mother blow up would traumatize them for life." Kurt offered as he looked at Jack who was still refusing to let go of him.

"Please. It would be great." Brooke smiled gratefully, but then she remembered something. "Are we waiting for someone else or did you come alone?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Kurt sighed and looked at his niece. "Anna, where is that doll you just told me about? We should get her and Jack's car, huh?"

Avoiding Brooke's gaze, Kurt started to walk behind his excited niece. Anna began exclaiming loudly that her new doll was the best one she had ever had, and telling Kurt all about her as they went upstairs to fetch the toys.

Blaine was busy placing streamers on top of shelves and hanging them from the ceiling in places he thought looked good, using the little step that was on the floor already, but some of them were too long and kept getting stuck in his hair when he moved.

"God damn, bloody-" he cut off his swearing when Kurt appeared in the living room with their excitable little niece talking a mile a minute and Jack still clinging to him.

He pushed the streamer off of his head and then moved to the next spot. But every tie he placed up would wind itself around either his hands or his hair, and he grumbled every time.

"Wow, those streamers seem to be attacking Uncle Blaine," Kurt said with an amused little chuckle, "Guys, why don't you sit there and play while I give him a hand?"

After checking that the kids had listened to him and they were immediately focus on their toys, Kurt approached Blaine.

"Can I help you?"

"You could tell me the secret of not getting streamers stuck in my hair," Blaine chuckled a little before handed some of the streamers to Kurt, as another one became stuck on his curls. "Jeez."

He smacked the streamer away from him, and climbed off of the little step. Kurt tried to hide his laughter as he started placing more streamers a few feet away from Blaine.

"I guess that's what happens when you put static electricity and your curls together." He said with a little smirk and Blaine huffed out a little laugh behind him.

Brooke appeared from the kitchen as Blaine was grumbling about 'stupid plastic being attracted to him' and she smiled at him as she threw another packet of decorations at him.

"Wow, Kurt, the streamers look great!" She exclaimed as she walked back into the kitchen, and Blaine glared at that.

He opened the packet in his hand roughly and pulled out some plastic birthday signs. Kurt couldn't help but feel a little bad that Brooke praised him for doing the work, when Blaine had been in here for almost ten minutes doing it all.

"You're doing it better than me, Blaine. I can't get this straight." Kurt said, trying to cheer him up.

"Don't worry about it, she would have preferred having a brother like you anyway." He muttered before looking up at Kurt struggling with the streamer, "hang on, I'll help."

He toed off his sneakers and stepped onto the couch cushions where the kids were sitting, which caused them to giggle and wrap themselves around his legs as he reached out to help Kurt straighten the streamer on the ceiling.

Although the streamer again got stuck on his hair and he grumbled.

"Let me take care of this one, it's obsessed with your hair." Kurt smirked and reached up to Blaine's curls to carefully remove the streamer, unable to stop himself thinking about how soft those curls were.

Blaine's entire face changed into a frown as he pulled back from Kurt's hand quickly, forgetting he was standing on the couch and ended up falling over the back of it, and landing hard on the floor.

It was dead silent in the room for about 2 seconds before everything became noisy. Both the kids on the couch jumped up to lookover the back at their uncle on the floor, Kurt gasped and climbed down from the small step, and Brooke had run in from the kitchen when she heard the big bang.

Blaine made an irritable grunting noise as he sat up, and Brooke walked over to him to check if he was ok.

"Uncle Blaine, you okay?" Came Anna's voice, as she peered down at him from the couch.

"What happened?" Brooke asked concerned, before Kurt came over to help him up from the floor as well.

"Blaine, are you okay?"

There suddenly seemed to be too much attention on him, and Blaine was becoming more irritable again. He couldn't stand being the centre of attention, especially when he was embarrassed.

"I'm fine." He said with a grunt and brushed off Kurt's and Brooke's attempts to help him up, "let's just get the decorating done."

He moved over to the other side of the room, ignoring everyone now as he tied the strings of the plastic signs on the curtain pole in the window. The kids were silently staring between him and their mother for a few seconds, before going back to playing.

"What the hell was that? We only wanted to help you." Kurt said loudly, anger building now after such a shitty morning at home.

"Kurt! The kids!" Brooke scolded him, putting her hands on her hips.

"What the hell was that, mommy?" Anna repeated with a giggle as she took her doll in her arms, trying to make her sleep.

"Anna, that's enough." Brooked scolded her daughter, who only giggled and looked back down at her doll. After a few seconds of looking at Blaine's tense back, she sighed. "Kurt, could you go and sort out some of the food in the kitchen, please?"

"Okay, I'll be in the kitchen then" He said a little shortly, "sorry, Brooke."

Kurt disappeared down the short hallway that led to the kitchen without looking at either of them.

Brooke waited until Kurt was out of earshot before she looked back to her brother, who had turned and was waiting for her to say something.

"What was that about?" She asked Blaine as she played a little with Anna's hair.

"Nothing." Blaine said with a shrug and turned away from her, and she sighed.

"Well, I'm going to take the kids upstairs for their bath and then get them ready for later." She said as she picked Jack up from the couch and called Anna to come too, "and please, please don't start anything with Kurt."

Blaine still didn't look over at her, just grunted in reply as he was putting the last string in place. She smiled at her children and walked them over to the stairs.

Blaine scowled a little in her direction, before going back to the rest of the streamers on the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

Kurt had been sorting out the different foods and sandwiches that Brooke had left in the kitchen, placing them onto trays and in large bowls. He had calmed down quite a bit while he was in there and after 20 minutes, he was finished and decided to go and put all the trays in the living room. 

He walked into the living room with some trays in his hands and set them on the table with more strength than he intended. He didn't see Brooke or the kids anywhere, so he guessed she was getting them ready for the party. People were due to start arriving in 10 minutes.

He looked at Blaine, who had his back to him still busy with the streamers, and sighed. It was the first time that he had fought with Blaine and it was over something so silly. Kurt felt bad about it, so he wanted to give Blaine a chance to apologize to him for being an ass, and then apologize back for snapping.

"Care to explain what happened to you before?"

Blaine shot him a perturbed look, and then turned away with a snort. 

"No, it's not any of your business."

Kurt had just about enough now. He had used his time alone in the kitchen to calm himself down a bit and was back ready to fix things, but Blaine's cocky attitude made him snap right back to his anger.

"Really? Look, if you don't want to tell me it's okay, but I've had a shitty day and the last thing I need is for you to be a jerk, so relax."

Blaine was surprised, he had never seen Kurt like this. He had always seemed very well mannered, almost uptight at times. But right now, Blaine felt like he was a fire, and Kurt's words only managed to fuel the flames.

"Wow, you've had a shitty day? Well, snap. My day has been just full of sunshine and rainbows too, so don't tell me what to do, alright? I get enough of that from my nosy fucking sister." Blaine stopped what he was doing and turned to face him, an angry scowl set on his face.

"Excuse me? Don't talk to me like that, I am not not your sister, thank god! She'll probably put up with these outbursts of yours, but it's not my problem. I'm here to help because it's my brother's birthday, so you can pretend that you care about something other than yourself and keep putting those stupid streamers up or go home, I don't care!"

Blaine's jaw clenched. If there was one thing he hated, it was being told what to do. It was what Brooke had been doing since he could remember and the main cause of their problems.

"Don't tell me what to fucking do!" Blaine bellowed at him from across the room.

"Then stop acting like a fucking child! And don't yell at me!" Kurt yelled too, willing to get above Blaine on this.

"Stop acting like you’re my mother!" 

As she descended the stairs, Brooke heard the screams coming from the living room and quickened her pace.

"Hey!" Brooke shouted as she reappeared, looking between the two of them on opposite sides of the living room, both tense and angry, "what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask Blaine?" Kurt put his hands in his pockets and began to move his leg nervously, a gesture very his when he got angry.

"You fucking started it!" Blaine shouted again, running his hands in frustration through his hair, and Brooke lost her temper. 

"I don't care who started it, stop right now!" She yelled at both of them, "Kurt, could you please go and help the kids get ready? I've put their clothes on the bed, they're in Anna's room. I need to talk to my brother." She said while glaring at them both. 

"Of course. And good luck trying to talk to him and getting something other than grunts." He muttered to Brooke as he turned for the stairs.

Kurt glared at Blaine before taking a deep breath and changing his tone to a much more cheerful one. 

"Jack, Anna, hope you're ready for Uncle Kurt's tickling before getting you dressed." He shouted up and after hearing the kids' shouts of joy, Kurt ran towards Anna's room.

"Pretentious fucking-" Blaine started.

"Blaine, kitchen now!" Brooke glared at him and dared him to challenge her with her eyes, and Blaine only glared back at her before moving to the kitchen.

Brooke followed after him and crossed her arms as she leaned against the counter looking at him. 

"I don't know what that was about, but I know that you never blow up like that with no reason."

"Can we just let it be, Brooke? Please. It was no big deal." Blaine didn't look like he could take another confrontation with his sister, his temper was flaring and raging beneath his skin and he just wanted to go home.

"No big deal? You and Kurt are basically total strangers and you just had an argument in my home. I don't need that kind of shit going on when this is supposed to be a big day for Finn, ok?" She said as gently as she could even though her words came out a little stern, "I told you I wanted to talk to you this morning about what you've been doing."

"Stop." Blaine warned her. "We're not having this conversation right now. You asked me to be here, and I'm here. Was I excited about this party? Not at all, but when Finn gets home, I'll hug the big guy and have some drinks to honor him. That's all!"

"We are talking about this." She said with another glare, "whether you want to or not, you need to start pulling your life together. Stop going out and getting drunk and inviting strangers into your bed, you know it's not good for you."

"They're not strangers, okay?" Blaine knew that more than once he had only needed a couple of sentences to get someone home, his charm was his specialty for getting people he liked, but he wasn't going to agree with Brooke by admitting something he wasn't overly proud of. "And it's my life, not yours. I'm a grown man and I can do whatever I want, and that includes drinking, having sex and all those things you despise."

"I don't despise them, Blaine, it's not like that." Brooke snorted, as she did every time she felt her brother didn't understand her at all. "I just want you to be responsible. You told me when you were fourteen that you would wait for your soulmate, and you were so into the whole 'life bond' thing that I thought you were going to treasure it, only to find out you were throwing yourself around like you don't matter. Do you know how much I hurt for you? How much I worry about you?" 

She sighed as she looked down.

"I'm your big sister, and I know you're a man now, but as a man it's important for you to be respectful of yourself and your future soulmate. I never want you to fall in with the wrong sort of people, and find yourself in trouble."

"Don't you see that I want all that?" Blaine cried out before banging on the kitchen table making Brooke jump a little and he immediately regretted it, for the gesture and for the subsequent pain in his hand. "I want all those things, Brooke. To find someone special, my soulmate, and to fall in love so intensely that my chest hurts just looking at that person. But what if it never happens? Are you aware that maybe no one will ever really love me? I'm not going to spend my days in bed watching romantic movies and thinking what my life might be. I appreciate your concern and you know I love you, but I'm not going to talk to you about this again."

As Brooke opened her mouth to respond, she heard the kids coming down the stairs giggling together, so she left it there. She watched Blaine's face a few seconds more before turning to the entrance as the kids appeared, dressed in their party clothes. 

Anna looked like a proper princess in a sparkly pink dress like one of her dolls, and Jack was wearing a tiny little suit with a little bowtie around his neck. 

"Wow, don't you two look ready to party, very nice." She smiled at them as Anna twirled around to show off.

"I promised them an extra piece of cake for being so good while getting dressed, I hope that's okay." Kurt said, stroking Jack's head while proudly looking at the kids. The fact that his nephew didn’t detach from him and his niece loved the attention gave Kurt the perfect excuse to avoid contact with Blaine.

Blaine decided to take advantage of Kurt and the kids’ arrival to sneak away from his sister and go back to the living room. He had to find some way to calm himself down.

Brooke laughed. "Oh, extra cake? I don't know." She said with a smile on her face and both the kids started to tell her how good they were and how they will be good at the party and sing 'happy birthday' to daddy and she laughed down at them, "of course you can have an extra piece, but only a little. Later, ok?" 

"Ok." Anna said with a smile and then ran into the living room, the skirt of her dress flowing around her.

Kurt looked at Brooke, who gave a tired smile to her daughter when she left, and put his hand on her arm.

"Everything okay?" He asked a little concerned with how worried she looked and she patted his hand.

"Yes, everything’s fine." Brooke sighed. "I just want this damn party to end, and it hasn't even started."

******

Everyone was gathered together in the living room. Blaine didn't know anyone here, they were all mostly Brooke and Finn's neighbours and friends from work and college who had turned up for Finn's surprise birthday. He was also trying to keep out of the way of his sister and Kurt, whom he still hadn't spoken to since the argument.

He expected to feel awkward around his sister, that was always a given when she got on his case about his life and his choices. What he had not expected tonight was to argue with Kurt, literally have a slanging match with him in his sister's house and act like a total ass.

He had to find some way to apologize later. He didn't need to have another person at family events that he had to avoid.

At 5:55pm, Finn was due home and Brooke had one of their friends keeping an eye out the window for him, so that everyone could hide and turn the lights off for the perfect surprise.

At 6 o'clock, the friend in the window waved at everyone that Finn was here, so Brooke told everyone to crouch or hide behind something and everyone scrambled around as she turned out all the lights.

Blaine was standing in the corner of the living room but he crouched down anyway. He felt these kind of surprise parties were a little juvenile for a grown man of 30, but he guessed it was mostly so that the kids would have fun surprising their daddy.

He felt somebody's arm brush up next to him and made to move away but he couldn't, because there was someone else to his other side. He looked over and realized it was Kurt, but he said nothing and just looked away again.

He saw out of the corner of his eyes that Kurt turned to glance at him, but he didn't move. Obviously it was awkward for both of them being cramped together in a corner when they hadn't even talked or made up.

The awkward moment was interrupted by Finn's arrival. As the front door opened, you could hear Finn call out for his kids and wife curiously.

"Why on earth is the house in darkness? Is there a power cut?" He asked as he flicked on the light, and walked into the living room.

A big 'surprise!' from everyone made Finn jump and drop the bag he was carrying, and everyone laughed as they did ran over to congratulate him. The kids and Brooke made it to him first, throwing themselves into his arms while everyone else applauded. Finn gave all 3 of them a big kiss before turning to greet and thank his friends.

Finn had to stand back a few times and look at everyone in disbelief, too happy to say anything sometimes. A couple of guys burst out with laughter as Finn yelled out at them, obviously some college buddies he hadn't seen in years. They had a big group hug while everyone else laughed happily.

The party went on with lively conversations and laughs everywhere, and somebody went to turn on the music so that people could dance and have fun too. Especially the kids. Finn was going from one group of people to another, trying to talk to everyone that had gathered just for him.

Then he spotted the familiar figure of his brother, who didn't really seem all that interested in the party. Kurt was standing near the window, staring out at the street with a glass in his hand. He wasn't talking to anyone, so Finn promised some co-workers to catch up with them later before approaching his brother.

Kurt turned when there was a tap on his shoulder and smiled up at his big brother.

"Happy birthday, Finn." He said as he hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, little bro. Are you okay?" Finn asked when he let Kurt go. "You seem a bit... off."

"I'm okay. I tried to get Jamie to come, but he was busy so it's just me...again." Kurt said with a sigh, before he smiled again at his brother, "but it doesn't matter, maybe next time, huh?"

"Kurt, are things between you two going well? I don't care that he didn't come, but I think you do." Finn had a habit of always knowing exactly what was bothering his brother, and Kurt sometimes hated it because it meant he could never really lie to him.

"It's okay, things are going well with us. Really, they are." Kurt told him with a smile trying to be convincing, but when Finn only stared at him a little longer, he sighed, "I'm actually upset about something else."

"Oh?" Finn raised a curious eyebrow when, without warning, his leg got glomped by his little boy.

"Daddy!" Jack yelled up at him and Finn tried to stay focused on what Kurt was saying, but they both turned their heads down to smile at Jack.

"I kind of had an argument...with Blaine. While we were trying to help decorate." Kurt explained as Finn's giant hands scooped Jack off of the floor, Jack squealing in delight as Finn hung him upside down over his arm.

"Wait, what? You and Blaine?" Finn asked a little confused, trying to focus on the conversation and play with his son at the same time, "you barely know each other. Why did you argue?"

"I don't know, we were getting along fine and then he fell over the back of the couch," Kurt said as Finn was making Jack laugh by rubbing his face in the little boy's neck, "and then he just started being a jerk out of nowhere. I didn't do anything to him."

"Oh, really?" Finn laughed as he pulled away from his son and looked up at Kurt with knowing eyes, "And you just stayed quiet while he was being a jerk, did you?"

"Well...no, I won't let anyone be mean to me, Finn, you know I won't. I'm sorry, but my bitch side appeared after he was being a jerk." Kurt shrugged, mouthing the word 'bitch' because of Jack, and Finn laughed again.

"Okay. You know I'd never let anyone be a jerk to you, but Blaine is family now. He was acting really weird before when he wished me 'happy birthday', and Brooke has been a little quiet tonight and I don't think it's a coincidence." Finn said and lowered Jack back to the floor as another little boy from their neighbourhood ran up and asked him to play, "Brooke and Blaine have always butted heads. I hear it a lot."

"Yeah, Blaine kind of said something along those lines earlier." Kurt remembered and Finn nodded thoughtfully.

"So I'm going to ask you a favor, little bro. You're going to go get him a drink and you're going to sort things out. For me."

"Finn, I-" Kurt started, but Finn was giving him those stern, listen to me eyes, like he does with his kids, and Kurt sighed, "...alright. I'll try."

"Thank you." Finn hugged him again. "Everything is going to be okay, trust me. I'm your wise big brother."

"Wise, my ass." Kurt said with a smirk as he walked away and heard Finn laugh loudly behind him as he went to grab a couple of drinks and then find Blaine.

******

After begrudgingly searching around the living room, Kurt headed to the kitchen, which was completely silent in contrast to the other room. There weren't too many bottles of drink in the kitchen and most of the food was in the living room, so hardly anybody came in here.

And there was Blaine, sitting dejectedly at the kitchen table checking his phone.

Kurt cleared his throat to announce his presence.

"Hey. Enjoying the party?"

Blaine looked up in surprise at Kurt and then looked back down at his phone screen with a small grunt of acknowledgement. Kurt sighed, mustering as much patience as possible as he set a glass in front of Blaine.

"Here. I thought you could use a drink." He said, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

Blaine raised an eyebrow as he eyed the glass before looking up at Kurt.

"Did you poison it?" He asked with a smirk, as playfully as he could.

"Actually, I peed inside. I was hoping you didn't notice." Kurt put on his best smile and sat next to Blaine without asking.

Blaine laughed a little as he took the glass.

"I surely hope not." He said as he swirled the glass, full of reddish brown liquid, "because you need to make an appointment with a doctor."

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you."

Kurt looked down at his own glass.

"Look, Blaine... I..." Kurt tried to find the words, but nothing seemed right.

Why was it so hard to find the words to apologize, Kurt didn't know. Then again, Blaine was just as much of an ass earlier as Kurt was, so that probably had something to do with it. Maybe he still held some residual resentment for him.

Blaine chanced a small glance at Kurt when he stopped speaking and seeing the amount of confusion in his eyes and the fact that he was struggling with words right, Blaine sighed as he took the first leap himself. Brooke had already reamed him out about being nice at the party.

"I was a complete ass, Kurt." He interrupted as Kurt was still trying to find the words, "it wasn't about you. I was just grumpy when I got here. I'm sorry about that."

He took a sip of the drink in his hand and then looked down at the table. Kurt looked at him for a second before answering.

"Well, I'm sorry too. I didn't lie when I said I've had a shitty day, and I guess you gave me the perfect excuse to give a few yells and bring out my bad side."

"It's alright. I'm used to being yelled out, Brooke does it a lot." Blaine said with a laugh as he downed the rest of his drink.

There it was again. Kurt had seen Blaine hurt with his sister more times in the same day than he had noticed in years. And he couldn't help but feel bad for him, despite their stupid fight earlier.

"That doesn't mean it's okay. She's not perfect, you know? Just like you're not a total mess."

"Oh, I wouldn't say I'm not a mess," Blaine answered as he got up to get another drink, reaching into the top of the refrigerator for 2 bottles of beer, opening both and handing one to Kurt, "but I expect it from her. You surprised me a little, which is why I snapped back."

Kurt gulped down his drink before reaching for the bottle Blaine just brought him.

"I'm not usually like that. I think of myself as a contained person, but my boyfriend Jamie..." Kurt paused and then laughed dryly before waving his hand. "Forget it."

Blaine eyed him for a moment, noting the nervousness in his eyes and the sad slump of his shoulders. He furrowed his brows as he took a swig of his beer before sitting down next to Kurt again, but turning his chair so that he could face him.

"Usually a boyfriend is a happy subject, but it doesn't look that way for you. What's up?" He asked curiously, and Kurt sent him a little glare.

"I'm not going to talk to you about my boyfriend. I barely know you, you're just the little brother of my brother's wife."

Kurt took a sip from his bottle, though he kept eye contact with Blaine as he drank.

"And a year older than you," Blaine said as he kept eye contact with Kurt over his drink too, "but fine. I could have been a listening ear for your problems in paradise…but I guess you should probably go talk to your brother about it instead of me."

He had a smirk on his lips while he said it so that Kurt knew he was just playing. Perhaps it would be good for him to vent, even better to someone whose opinion would not affect him so much.

"Fine. The thing is, Jamie and I... I don't know, we've been together for a long time and it's great most of the time, but sometimes I feel like something is missing. I don't know what, but that feeling grows every time my family comes into play. He never wants to come to this kind of thing with me, he thinks Finn and Brooke are constantly judging him and... he hates the kids. In those moments I can't remember why I'm still with him."

Kurt blurted it out all at once and couldn't help blushing as he realized what he had just said. Blaine's eyes went a little wide, he didn't really expect Kurt to throw out his problems, but he did.

He hummed a little as he mulled the information over, before reaching out and placing a hand on Kurt's shoulder lightly.

"He sounds like a douchebag." He finally said, shaking his head lightly, "why are you with someone like that?"

Kurt's eyes locked on the hand Blaine had placed on him, but he didn't push it away. It was comforting, in a strange sort of way.

"He's not a douchebag. We have a good time together, we really do. And I have my flaws too. I just wish I felt more supported by him." Kurt had no idea why he felt like he should defend his boyfriend, he felt he still held a certain obligation to him.

"Not a douchebag? He hates on the kids for no reason and he's not a douchebag?" Blaine said with a raised eyebrow as he removed his hand, "and Finn and Brooke judge everybody. Especially Brooke. It's not a fucking good enough reason to stay away. How long have you been with this jerk?"

"He hates kids in general, not ours specifically. I mean, not ours... our nephew and niece. You got it, right?" Kurt reiterated nervously and then laughed at the silliness of the situation before shaking his head. "We've been together for 3 years."

Blaine ignored Kurt's embarrassment in favor of moving a little closer.

"Do you hate kids?" He asked quietly and watched as Kurt's eyes widened a little.

"No, of course not. I love kids." He responded quickly and Blaine nodded.

"So, you'll probably want your own some day, right?"

"I guess so. I don't know, I've never considered it before, even less with Jamie. God, I'm a horrible person."

Kurt snorted, covering his face with his hands.

"You're not a horrible person, and I should know," Blaine said, but he didn't really give a reason as to how he knew, "just think about what I am about to say to you, ok?"

Kurt looked at him and waited extremely patiently with a guarded look on his face, but Blaine only offered him a small comforting smile before he spoke.

"You have sacrificed 3 god damn years of your life with a jerk who hates kids, who doesn't want to know your family, who won't even try to get to know anyone you care about. And...no offense, but he probably doesn't really give a shit what you want in the future. Again, I ask...why are you with him? Is he your soulmate or something?"

Kurt stared at Blaine, losing himself for a moment in his eyes. Those eyes... there was something special about them.

"No, he isn't." Kurt answered, with a conviction that surprised himself. "Well, I used to believe in soulmates, but right now... and even if I did, deep down I know he isn't. But I don't want to be alone, Blaine." He confessed, swallowing the lump he didn't know was in his throat.

Blaine's eyes softened a little at the last sentence, he could understand that. He nodded a little solemnly.

"I get it, but you know, if you think you can change somebody by being with them long enough, you can't. It doesn't work, trust me." At that, Blaine looked a little sad but he shook it off and downed the rest of his beer.

"It seems that you speak from experience. Do you want to tell me why you were angry before? We've been talking about me ever since I got here and though I do love being in the spotlight, I am a good listener."

After taking a sip from his bottle, as if looking there for the courage he needed, now it was Kurt who placed his hand on Blaine's shoulder. Something about Blaine seemed different, and maybe he was hiding the same pain. Kurt didn't know.

"Well, my story is a little different," Blaine said with a small smirk, "Brooke is just on my case all the time. She's the one who made me grumpy today."

"Finn told me more than once that she can be too pushy sometimes, but she only cares about you. You are worthy, Blaine, you just have to believe it." He said with a soothing tone, and Blaine snorted a little.

"She disapproves of my...lifestyle, to put it bluntly," Blaine said as he got up, Kurt's hand falling from his shoulder as he moved to get them 2 more beers, "she keeps reminding me of my future soulmate, should I ever meet them. It's getting pretty hard to believe I ever will, so I...find company."

"I see." Kurt said, feeling momentarily uncomfortable. "Look, like I said, I don't even know if I believe in all this soulmate stuff, so I'm not the best to give you advice, but... are you happy with this kind of lifestyle?"

Blaine snorted as he gave Kurt one of the bottle and downed half of his before answering with a smile, "well, it helps."

He gestured cheekily with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Ugh, come on. That's not what I asked." Kurt groaned a little but there was a smile on his face.

"But it's my answer." He said with another cheeky grin.

"Now I understand that sometimes Brooke wants to punch you.” Kurt smirked, bringing the new beer to his lips.

Blaine laughed heartily as he sat back down next to Kurt.

"How about we forget all this heavy talk for a few hours and get drunk?"

"You mean more drunk? Because I don't usually drink and I'm starting to get a little tipsy."

"Bah! You've only had what 3 drinks, such a lightweight, Kurt!" He said with a grin while bumping Kurt's shoulder with his elbow, "you need to drink some more. Let me get some shots."

Blaine got up to find something he could put in little glasses. Kurt just stared at his back for a second, noticing the way Blaine kept ignoring painful topics and changing the subject. It wasn't lost on Kurt that there was more to this man than his 'no care' attitude.

"Okay, why not. As long as you don't make me play "Never Have I ever" or something like that." He told him and watched as Blaine chuckled a little darkly.

"Why?" Blaine asked with a smirk, narrowing his eyes and giving Kurt a pointed stare, "afraid I might find out some of your dirty little secrets?"

"I don't have dirty little secrets, Anderson." Kurt bit his lower lip, blushing again. "You're probably the one who should be worried."

"Oh, so you want to know my dirty little secrets?" Blaine asked cheekily as he brought over to little glasses of clear liquid and placed one in front of Kurt, "because I can tell you now...I'm not shy."

He stared into Kurt's eyes with a daring grin. There was a challenge set in his eyes and Kurt wasn't one to ever back down.

"And I'm not easily scared." Kurt threw back at him as he stared back, with a mix of defiance and fun in his eyes.

Blaine let his eyes linger on Kurt's for a moment, the golden brown orbs lighting up for a second in excitement, before glancing down at the glasses. Picking his one up and gesturing for Kurt to do the same.

"So let's get this game on then." He said as he raised his glass, Kurt smirking at him as he raised his own to clink them together. 

"You're on, Anderson."


	3. Chapter 3

Blaine was excited about this game. 

He did not expect to have so much competition in this silly little drinking game of theirs, but Kurt was holding his own. Blaine would think he was getting ahead one minute and then the next Kurt would fire a question at him that would make him take a shot of his own. 

He wanted to see how far he could provoke Kurt, something told him it was going to be fun to get Kurt all riled up. 

He had grabbed a full bottle of vodka and a bottle of tequila from the side board in the kitchen before they started the game. 

The vodka was nearly gone now, only tequila left, and what a sight they both were, sitting at the table drunk. Blaine had just refilled both of their glasses, but without even asking a question Kurt picked it up and downed it. 

"What? I was just checking to see if I liked it," Kurt said and then placed the glass back so that Blaine could fill it again, "okay, you can ask now." 

Blaine looked a little surprised for a few seconds but he smiled down at the table before thinking about his next question. 

"Okay, Never Have I ever stolen something." Blaine started off with an almost too easy one and Kurt smirked.

"Really? I thought you were a bad boy." Kurt downed the tequila, looking disgusted when he felt his throat burn. "Before you ask, it was a bag of goodies when I was a kid and I'll regret it all my life. My turn."

Kurt thought about it and smiled. "Never Have I ever slept with two people at the same time."

"Oh, come on, that's easy." Blaine laughed as he downed his glass full, licking his lips after and then taking the bottle and filling both glasses back up. "College experiences were fun." He added with an extra little smug look and Kurt rolled his eyes.

"College experiences, sure..." Kurt knew that he was talking to someone much more experienced than him and that made him feel a bit insecure, but he wasn't about to let it show.

"I take it, you were too innocent for college fun." Blaine laughed as Kurt looked at him in offense, "Never Have I ever had a boyfriend."

Blaine smirked at him.

"You have to be kidding me!" Kurt drank it all before putting his glass on the table again. "Did you never...? Never mind, I actually believe it."

He looked at Blaine again.

"Never Have I ever made false promises to someone to put them in my bed."

Blaine narrowed his eyes and left his drink alone, smirking as Kurt looked at him surprised.

"My fucks always know what I'm after, I never make promises." He said with a wink, "Never Have I ever been in love."

Kurt was about to drink when he stopped short. Had he ever been in love? Jamie had been his only serious relationship, and well, he loved him, but...

Without really knowing what he was doing, he left the full glass on the table and looked at Blaine, determined to ask a new question to avoid explaining.

"Never Have I ever been with someone even though I was sure it was a big mistake."

Blaine paused for a second, watching Kurt not take a drink. But he wouldn't ask, this wasn't the time for that. He just smiled as he took his own glass full and downed it, feeling the burn.

"Do I need to explain that one?" He asked as he poured more drink into the empty glass and Kurt could see the smug smile on his lips.

"You look so proud of yourself..." Kurt grumbled, rolling his eyes.

Blaine chuckled a little and shook his head.

"I knew it was a big mistake, and maybe I should have thought about it more." He shrugged as he turned to look at Kurt, "he was a friend of my father's."

"What? Please tell me you were of legal age." Kurt asked looking a little horrified.

"I was 17."

"Okay, I don't want to know that story." He said quickly while shaking his head, "Ask me anything."

"He was hot." Blaine said with a shrug like that explained everything before laughing and filling up his glass again, "Never Have I ever made someone cry."

Kurt sighed before picking up his glass and drinking.

"A couple of years ago, Jamie and I had a very big fight and we said things to each other that... whatever," Kurt stopped himself before delving into his and Jamie's problems too deeply, it wasn't the time or the place right now, so he shook off the vulnerable feeling that was creeping up his spine and looked Blaine right in the eyes, "Never Have I ever looked for in a stranger the affection I didn't get at home."

Blaine was a little shocked at the question. It made his mind flick back over the past years, and he couldn't help but feel a little pained as memories began pouring though his head.

Seeing Blaine's hurt expression, Kurt tried to rectify.

"I'm sorry. I withdraw it, it was out of place."

"No, it's part of the game…" Blaine murmured as he downed his drink, "although that explanation will have to wait for another time. No heavy conversation, remember?"

"Yeah, of course. I'm really sorry, though." Kurt said quickly, and Blaine waved it off as he took his turn.

"Never Have I ever slept with a woman."

Kurt was worried about having broken the moment until Blaine's question made him laugh. 

"No way, never!" He giggled out loud, and covered his mouth with his hand, and Blaine laughed giddily along with him, obviously feeling the magic of alcohol in his system.

Once the laughter died down, Blaine's gaze locked onto Kurt's, and for the first time since the game had started, Kurt's whole being seemed to relax.

"Never Have I ever used alcohol as an excuse to do something I really wanted to do."

Kurt didn't know where that question came from, but he was beginning to have a hard time thinking clearly and the words just escaped his lips.

Blaine stopped laughing altogether and raised an eyebrow in curiosity, a smirk stuck on his face as he raised the glass to his lips and drank it.

"Alcohol can be used as an excuse in any situation." He spoke softly, lowering his voice and then with a grin stuck on his face he added, "Never Have I ever wanted to kiss someone who I shouldn't."

Kurt stopped for a moment, and then a thought sprang to his head and he smirked.

"You liar. What about your father's friend?" Kurt answered quickly, trying to escape from the fact of drinking or not.

"He wanted it, I wanted it. Who's to say it was wrong?" Blaine said cheekily, but he took a drink anyway.

Without giving an reason, Kurt raised his glass and drank too. Blaine raised an eyebrow but said nothing of Kurt drinking too, just set about refilling them both.

"Someone you shouldn't, hmm? So somebody who's not your boyfriend?" Blaine mused to himself out loud, and couldn't help the little flirtatious smile he sent to Kurt.

Kurt blushed again, his gaze fixed on Blaine's lips. What was happening to him? When had it started to get so hot in there? 

"Well, we all have our moments of weakness, don't we?" He managed to say.

"That we do." Blaine said slowly, noting the blush covering Kurt's face, "It's your turn."

"Yeah, erm... Never Have I ever cheated." Kurt stammered out, and then froze.

What the fuck?

"I mean, you said you never had a boyfriend, but I'm sure you've had someone special before and then one night you just met someone else and you, well... ruined it." He stuttered out a lame excuse for why he had asked such a question, giving himself a mental face palm at being so stupid.

If Blaine noticed Kurt's utter embarrassment at having asked such a question, he didn't show it, to which Kurt was grateful. At least one of them still had some tact when they were drunk.

"I guess there have been guys that thought of me as their boyfriend, but I don't really think of it as cheating. I never labelled any of my...friends." Blaine said with another smarmy grin, taking in the way Kurt's eyes were flicking across his face, "but I guess you can't ruin what you don't have."

He couldn't help staring at Kurt. The color of his eyes looked different now, darker somehow, but that could have been the alcohol.

"You're right, yeah..." Kurt scratched the back of his head with a nervous laugh, "Your turn, sir."

"Never Have I ever thought about cheating." Blaine said pointedly, raising an eyebrow, and waited.

In that moment, Kurt knew. Blaine was challenging him, testing him and trying to scare him, but he wasn't going to let him win. Hummels never back down from a challenge.

What if he drank? It would mean nothing, no one would ever know.

Feigning more determination than he actually felt, and without taking his eyes off Blaine, Kurt drank.

Blaine gave him a wink.

"No judgement." He said with a grin, refilling the glass Kurt had just put down. "Your turn, Mr. Hummel."

"Never Have I ever wanted someone who would make my sister not speak to me for a very long time."

Blaine huffed out a small laugh and drank his drink quickly, keeping his eyes on the very determined blue green ones in front of him.

"I feel like that was a direct attack on me." Blaine said with a laugh, "but there have been a few...that would make Brooke incredibly angry."

There was a certain silence that came upon the two of them, and the tension in the air was almost palpable. Blaine had no idea what was going on with Kurt, but he knew bedroom eyes when he saw them. And even though he knew that Kurt probably didn't know he was looking at him like that, Blaine decided to test it a little.

"Never Have I ever..." He paused for effect, "wanted to make a very bad decision..." he said slowly, almost sultry, keeping his eyes on Kurt's, "that I knew I would regret."

Kurt knew he had to drink, but he couldn't stop looking at Blaine.

There was something that inevitably attracted him towards the other guy, towards his eyes, towards his mouth...

Kurt began to breathe hectically, because the air seemed to reach his lungs with difficulty, and a sudden heat seemed to surround everything. He wanted to get out of the kitchen right then and there, but his body just wasn't responding.

Blaine noticed his hesitation and leaned forward a little.

"You don't have to drink. I just want to say that..." He said as he let his eyes linger on Kurt's lips, noticing the rapid breathing, "bad decisions can be fun. But it's up to you."

He sat and just waited, watching as he could see Kurt struggle with his thoughts.

Don’t do it. This is because of the alcohol. You're mad at Jamie and you're drunk and you're seeing things that don't exist. Blaine isn't looking at you like he wants to undress you. You don't want him, you've never looked at him that way. Come on, make any excuses and go back to the party.

All of those thoughts ran through Kurt's mind, one after another. But his body thought differently. And there was something else, an overwhelming urge that he didn't feel ready to fight. One last look at Blaine's lips ended up convincing him.

"I know I'm going to regret this, but..."

Kurt cut the short distance between them and pressed his lips to Blaine's.

Blaine grunted a little in surprise but kissed him back almost immediately, bringing one hand up to the back of Kurt's neck to keep him there as he pushed his lips more forcefully against Kurt's soft ones.

All he could feel inside was want and heat, his body and mind telling him 'more', 'more', 'more'.

The only thing Kurt could think about was how good that felt. Blaine's lips were demanding, and Kurt responded to his urge by opening his slightly to give him total access to his mouth.

Never in his life he had been so turned on.

Blaine pushed his tongue through Kurt's lips as they opened for him, his entire body on fire, like he would be engulfed in flames at any moment.

A sudden loud laugh in the living room made him pull back away from Kurt's lips reluctantly, but he still kept his hand on his neck.

"We can't do this here." He breathed out, even though he was literally dying to push his lips back to Kurt's, "do you wanna get outta here?"

Kurt only hesitated a second before answering.

"Yeah. Let's go."

******

They knew they couldn't go back to the living room and just say 'goodbye' to everyone. They were so drunk and their lips were swollen after the kiss, so Brooke and Finn would start freaking out and asking too many questions. Questions that they didn't want to answer. 

Blaine pointed to the door that connected the kitchen to the back of the house, and Kurt nodded. They felt like two teenagers doing something wrong, giddily laughing and clinging to each other as they went outside. 

Blaine got out first followed by Kurt, who stumbled a bit and bumped into his back. Blaine laughed a little bit too loudly as he reached back and grabbed his shoulders to steady him. 

He steered Kurt through the garden and around the side of the house, making sure nobody was watching from the windows. 

"I'm gonna call a cab." Blaine said as he fumbled to get his phone out of his pocket, "oh, I need to ask... does Jamie have a key to your place?" 

"Yeah. He never uses it when I'm not there, but..." Kurt left his answer hanging in the air, and Blaine nodded once. 

"Alright, then we'll go to my place." He said as he placed his phone to his ear, "let's go wait down the street, so that nobody will see us." 

He stumbled a little as he took a step across the grass next to the driveway, and had to pull on Kurt's shoulder to keep upright. 

"Hey, be careful, cowboy." Instinctively, Kurt grabbed Blaine by the waist to help him stand up, and Blaine smirked. 

"Cowboy, huh?" He said, licking his lips, "I'll be riding you later...hello, I need a cab at Woodbine Avenue, New Rochelle...15 minutes? Okay." 

Kurt blushed as he followed after Blaine and they walked a few houses down the street. What did he just say? He felt heat running through his entire body. It was a feeling he hadn't had in a long time, that excitement and boldness and total abandon that he felt now. It was a good sensation, but he was getting nervous too. 

"15 minutes?" Kurt asked after Blaine hung up the phone to the cab company, and Blaine nodded at him while he bit his own lip, "yeah, good." 

Kurt looked down as his nerves got the better of him, trying to avoid Blaine's heated intense gaze for a second. 

Blaine put the phone back in his pocket before wrapping an arm around Kurt's waist and pulling him closer. He pressed the entire front of his body up against Kurt's and smiled at him. He placed his free hand underneath his chin gently and made Kurt look up.

"Hey, where's that confidence gone?" He asked with a little laugh, looking between Kurt's eyes and his lips, "tell me you still wanna do this." 

Kurt sighed. Blaine was right, he had made up his mind and wasn't going to ruin the moment. 

"Yeah, I still want this." Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck, gladly accepting the closeness. 

"Good." 

Blaine crashed their lips together, moaning against Kurt's mouth loudly, uncaring if anyone could hear him. He moved his hands to the small of Kurt's back and forced them even closer.

Kurt responded eagerly to the kiss, the embarrassment now forgotten. He pressed hard on Blaine's lips, tightening his arms around his neck even more to pull him against his chest.

Blaine's hands made their way down to Kurt's ass, squeezing and kneading at it roughly as he pushed his tongue into Kurt's mouth. He had never expected just a kiss to be that pleasurable. It literally felt like his insides were melting, and his spine tingled exactly like an orgasm, but he hadn't come yet. 

He thrust his hips against Kurt's once, hoping Kurt could feel what kind of effect he was having on his body.

"Blaine... we're in the middle of the street." Kurt's voice came out low as he pulled back a bit to catch his breath. Blaine's movement had definitely stirred something inside him, and Kurt felt his own erection pressing against his pants.

However, he didn't separate his body from Blaine’s. It was as if an invisible magnet was drawing him to Blaine, and Kurt just wanted to hold onto that sensation, that warmth.

"I don't care..." Blaine mumbled as he ran his tongue along Kurt's jaw and then down his neck, to kiss and suck lightly on it. 

He was moaning as he buried his face in Kurt's neck, not able to stop yet. One hand left Kurt's ass to pull aside the shirt collar in front of his mouth, so that he could nip lightly along Kurt's collarbone underneath it.

Kurt couldn't help the high-pitched moan that escaped his lips as Blaine's mouth travelled down his neck. He tilted his head back to give him more access as one of his hands reached into Blaine's curls and tugged them on lightly.

Blaine pulled back a little at the tug on his hair, but he was surprised it didn't bother him like it used to with others, which he thought was shocking. A few hours ago, a similar gesture from Kurt had ended up in a fight, and now it had only made him get even more turned on.

He gave out a little grunt and his hands got a little rougher as he nipped along the side of Kurt's neck again, and he moved one palm up against the zipper of Kurt's jeans.

"Hey, not here." Kurt removed Blaine's hand from his jeans, but he kissed him hard again, as if to reassure him they could get back to it later. He could kiss Blaine for hours without tiring, but right now he needed more too.

"Jeez..." Blaine said with wide eyes as Kurt pulled his hand away, "you're packing something big there, Hummel." 

Blaine saw Kurt blush at his words and thought that was so sexy. Besides, he was so turned on from the feel of Kurt's cock inside his jeans that he really couldn't wait to get him home. 

"I can't wait..." He mumbled into Kurt's mouth, "to get my lips on you."

Kurt had to use all his self-control to not let Blaine do right there what he wanted to do too. Blaine's dirty talk was turning him on more and more. He wasn't used to it, Jamie didn't like talking during sex. There were a lot of things Jamie didn't like about sex, though. 

But Kurt shook that thought out of his head. He couldn't care less about Jamie now, because his senses were totally filled with Blaine, like he was everywhere. 

"When is that damn cab coming?" He asked before leaning down to slide his tongue over Blaine's jaw. He had wanted to taste his skin since they left the house.

Blaine moaned at the feel of Kurt's tongue against his jaw before he checked his phone and smirked. 

"We have 5 minutes yet." He said as he very successfully pulled himself back against Kurt, grinding his erection against Kurt's thigh, "you seriously have no idea what kind of treat you're in for tonight, Kurt. I have so many plans that involve all of that pale skin on display for me."

"Is that a threat? Because it's not exactly fear that I feel right now. Actually, it sounds tremendously appealing."

Kurt rubbed his leg slightly against Blaine, seeking more contact and feeling powerful as he noticed how hard Blaine was because of him.

Blaine only laughed as he dug his teeth a little bit harsher into the side of Kurt's neck before pulling away completely as a cab pulled into the street in front of them. 

"Looks like you're safe," He said with a little smile as he flagged down the cab before giving Kurt a dark stare, "for now." 

He opened the door of the cab and gestured for Kurt to climb in first.

"What a gentleman." Kurt joked before giving Blaine one last kiss and getting into the cab.

Blaine laughed as he climbed in behind him and told the driver where they were going.

******

After what seemed like hours to both of them, the cab pulled up in front of Blaine's apartment building, and he quickly threw a wad of cash at the driver, not caring much if he overpaid. 

Kurt got out of the car first, seriously needing some air, as the continuous smiles that they had shared all the way along with Blaine's fingers drawing patterns on his thigh had Kurt on the verge of losing his mind. 

As Blaine got out and headed for the door of the building, Kurt was right behind him. They laughed together on the way up in the elevator. Blaine had tried to press Kurt up against the inside of the elevator, but Kurt absolutely refused to let his clothes come in contact with any wall that wasn't clean. 

Blaine just chuckled and pulled Kurt into a kiss, but it only lasted a few seconds because the elevator opened on his floor and he ran down the short way to his door. As he fiddled with his keys in hand, Kurt clung to him, wrapping his arms around Blaine's waist and spreading his hands over his stomach.

Blaine finally pushed the door open, dragging Kurt through it, and then he just slammed it closed and pressed Kurt up against it. 

"Welcome to my humble abode, Mr. Hummel." He said with slight flare, but he didn't give Kurt a chance to respond, pushing his lips and hands back on him. 

Feeling more confident knowing that no one could see them now, Kurt forgot all restraint. He put his hands on Blaine's shoulders and pushed him against the wall in front of them, quickly pressing his mouth to his neck. 

He trailed a line of little kisses and bites from Blaine's ear to his collarbone, sucking on a small mark there. In the meantime, his hands just tried and touch every part of Blaine as they moved down his chest. 

Blaine opened his mouth to gasp, feeling Kurt drag his fingers down his chest, the tips of them digging slightly into the muscles. He couldn't take it anymore, they both needed to be naked right now. 

He pushed Kurt away from him, and then grabbed his hand and literally dragged him to his bedroom, trying not to trip over anything in the dark of his apartment because he refused to stop and flick the lights on. 

As soon as they reached his room, he pushed Kurt over onto the dark silk sheets of his bed. 

Kurt giggled when his back hit the bed, his body bouncing slightly on the mattress, but he couldn't take his eyes off Blaine. He was incredibly aroused, his pants were so tight that it was even uncomfortable. 

But he was also feeling the nerves in the pit of his stomach. Kurt knew that he needed Blaine's warmth against his body and to stop thinking. 

"What are you thinking?" Blaine asked as he stood over the top of Kurt on his bed, almost like a predator in the dark, "are you gonna try and run?" 

He could swear he could hear Kurt's heartbeat from there, but maybe that was all in his head. 

"Not at all. I just want... you. All of you. Come here." 

Kurt pulled Blaine over him, kissing him hard and pushing his tongue into Blaine's mouth, tasting it. He had never kissed anyone like this, as if he needed it to breathe, but everything was different with Blaine. 

He started to move his hips at the same time, thrusting against Blaine desperately. 

The grunts and groans that came out of Blaine's throat were starting to sound more animal than human, and without saying a single intelligible word, he ripped his mouth away from Kurt's to slide down his body, opening up the shirt in front of him quickly. 

He wasn't careful, he had never been with clothes. When things were in his way, he ripped, and tugged, and pulled until they weren't anymore. A couple of buttons went flying across the room, and he moaned as the pale chest and abdomen came into view. 

That, that right there was what he wanted. 

He buried his nose into Kurt's belly button before beginning to lave his tongue over every inch of beautiful satin soft skin beneath his lips, making sure to kiss and nip along the way. 

He went up, right up to the collarbone he liked so much, and then right back down; even as Kurt's hands were tugging at him for another kiss, he resisted. The real prize was yet to uncover. 

"Oh, shit..." Kurt groaned as he felt Blaine's mouth lick and bite along his body. 

He could feel Blaine's need and want in his every move, and Kurt was sure he would undo at any moment. 

One of his hands clenched into a fist on the sheets, and the other just gripped Blaine's curls tightly. 

Blaine grunted a little at the tug on his hair again. He could feel his face going hot and his mouth became a little slack as he continued licking over Kurt's chest and stomach. 

"God...if I had known you were hiding this under all those clothes, I'd have stolen you years ago." He murmured into the skin of Kurt's hips, before beginning to tug at his jeans, "I need you...I want to suck your dick." 

He kept mumbling about sucking over and over as he pulled at the zipper and button on top. 

"Wait." Kurt suddenly stiffened, his insecurities showing up again. "You don't have to do it." 

"Wha-?" Blaine mumbled as he lifted his head, confusion on his face, "wait. Do you not want to do this? I thought I was pretty clear with what I wanted." 

"Oh, yes, believe me, I do want it." Kurt nodded his head and smiled, though his smile faded when he kept talking. "It's just... well, don't think you have to if you don't feel like it. It's okay." 

The words were thrown out of his mouth and Kurt thought he was making a complete fool of himself, so he closed his eyes and shut his mouth, dropping his head on the pillow. 

"Kurt, look at me." 

Despite his embarrassment, Kurt sighed and looked at Blaine. 

Blaine's eyes, despite the dark want floating around in them, were warm and calculating. He stared at Kurt's face for a few seconds before sighing. 

"Have you ever had a blowjob before?" He asked quietly, softly as though he was treading on thin ground, because Kurt was in fact acting like he hadn't ever done this. 

Then Kurt remembered that night. He and Jamie had been dating for almost a month, and Kurt had decided it was time to spend the night together. 

It was going to be Kurt's first time, since he had only had a few dates before with a couple of guys that led to nothing, and he was pretty excited. 

After a good making-out session, they moved to bed, and when Jamie started to undress him, he said 'hey, I want to make something clear. I like you, but oral sex kind of disgusts me, so I prefer to tell you now to clear the air. That's okay?'

Kurt was a little surprised, but he let it be, not wanting to give it more relevance at that moment. But Jamie did his words justice, because in all the time they had been together after that, he had never brought his mouth to Kurt's cock.

"Erm... no, I haven't." 

Blaine looked a little horrified at first, but it melted into something more lustful after a second or two. 

"3 fucking years...I can't believe it..." He muttered under his breath. 

He literally ripped the jeans and underwear from Kurt's legs, and then swiftly moved his hands to hold Kurt's hips down. He gave one more look up to Kurt's face, silently asking for permission and waiting. 

Kurt couldn't believe it. He had just acted like a scared child, and he was sure that Blaine was going to get out of bed and ask him to leave. But there he was, ripping his pants off and looking at him in a way that made Kurt feel wanted and surprisingly safe. 

He just smiled shyly at Blaine and nodded. 

Blaine's eyebrows raised in a playful manner and then, in one swift motion, he forced Kurt's dick into his mouth. 

He felt the pressure against his hands as Kurt's hips tried to buck up into the feeling, and hearing his gasps and high moans of pleasure sent Blaine's head into a spin. 

The taste of Kurt's skin was amazing, and even more so was the appendage in his mouth. He moaned around it as he closed his lips and then sucked harshly. 

"Blaine... jeez, oh... my fucking... god" Kurt wasn't able to say anything coherent. 

Blaine's mouth around his dick was simply sublime. Hot, wet, dominant but soft in some way. 

His hips felt the need to thrust, but he held back. All he wanted was for Blaine to never stop.

Blaine picked up a little bit of speed as he could hear Kurt's breath become hitched and rapid, but he didn't want to finish that way, no when what he had in mind was much more satisfying for them both. There was one thing he wanted to do, though.

He placed both of his hands underneath Kurt's ass, gripped it tightly and pulled, so that the dick in his mouth hit and passed his throat. Yeah, that was it.

Kurt screamed. There was no other way to call the sound that came out of his throat. It was an animal cry, coming from somewhere deep in his body, and he thought he was going to burst. Of all the sensations he had ever felt, this had to be the most pleasurable. He had never experienced anything like it.

Blaine's throat was tight, hot...and it was flexing around him as Blaine was struggling to control his gag reflex. He wrapped one hand into Blaine's hair completely and tried to hold him there, hold onto that feeling. But Blaine began to struggle against his fingers, so he let him go with a whimper.

Blaine pulled away with a wide smirk on his face and made sure to limit contact with the body below him. Oh, he wanted to go back there, he really did, but he had other plans. 

He watched as Kurt caught up with the motion, realizing that Blaine had pulled away, and then watched his eyes open and look at him curiously. 

"Sorry." Blaine said with a smile, "I would love to feel your come sliding down my throat and taste it all day tomorrow on my tongue, but I have more interesting things I want to do tonight." 

He walked over to the drawer beside his bed, fished out a bottle of lube and a condom and placed them on the pillow as he slowly started unbuttoning his shirt. He watched Kurt's face all the while, revealing more and more skin as he went.

Kurt sat up on the bed, too much desperate and impatient to watch the slow pace at which Blaine was getting naked. He replaced Blaine's hands for his own and unbuttoned his shirt as quickly as he could. 

As soon as Blaine's bare chest was exposed, Kurt began kissing and licking every inch of skin. He focused especially on his nipples, biting lightly on one and then the other as his hands were now busy unzipping Blaine's pants.

Some sort of desperate sound fell from Blaine's lips as Kurt helped him shed his clothes, and after a few minutes, he finally kicked off his underwear, pushed at the naked shoulders in front of him and straddled Kurt. 

He made himself sit high on Kurt's stomach for a reason, not ready yet for his chest to be apart from the wonderful kisses and licks Kurt was peppering it with. 

Kurt's lips were soft, but his little nips and licks were harsh, the perfect combination, and Blaine couldn't help but grind against his stomach, smearing the wetness from his aching cock all over Kurt's stomach.

Kurt's lips were still tracing Blaine's chest. He looked like a junkie looking for more drugs, but for some reason the sounds Blaine made and the movements of his muscles against his mouth had a brutal effect on Kurt. 

"Blaine. I. Want. You. Inside. Me." Kurt said, kissing a different patch of skin after each word. 

To reinforce his request, he slid his hands down Blaine's back to his perfect round ass, squeezing his cheeks tightly and pulling Blaine toward him.

"Baby..." The word just seemed to appear in a groan as Blaine writhed with Kurt's hands on him, "I would absolutely enjoy that. But...I was kinda hoping that I would get to ride that beast of a cock of yours first." 

He moved down Kurt's body and emphasized his point by grinding his ass on Kurt's cock, which was now resting just below it. 

Blaine calling him 'baby' had made his heart skip a beat, but Kurt couldn't stop to find out what that meant. Besides, he had asked him something pretty important, and Kurt's eyes widened as he looked at Blaine nervously once more. 

"Are you sure? I don't usually... I don't want to screw this up."

Blaine raised an eyebrow but continued pushing his hips up and down over Kurt's.

"You don't usually what? Top? That's fucked up." Blaine said and let out a groan as the head of Kurt's cock caught on the rim of his hole, "are you telling me he doesn't like you using the beast on him?" 

He heard Kurt groan out his name, and threw his head back with a loud moan before reaching for the lube and the condom.

"Blaine, fuck." 

Blaine's words were fire burning through his veins, and something inside Kurt changed in that moment. He saw Blaine put the lube and the condom beside him, and then Kurt grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him, trying to convey everything he felt at that moment in that kiss. 

"He's not here, you are. And I want to fuck you while you ride me."

Blaine grinned at the confidence in that voice, so he handed Kurt the lube and pulled himself forward so that it will be easier for Kurt to stretch him. 

"Yeah, I'm here," He whispered to him as Kurt opened the lube and coated his fingers, "I'm right here until you tell me to leave. I'm not going anywhere." 

He literally didn't know why those particular words were spilling from his mouth, all he could think of was Kurt and being in this time with him. Nothing else mattered. As he pushed his face down to connect their lips, something amazing happened. 

His whole body felt like it was being bathed in light, his mind felt clear and he swore he could feel his own heartbeat thud painfully once, twice, and then it was over.

"Hey, are you okay? You seemed to be somewhere else for a moment." Kurt asked when he pulled away, stroking Blaine's face tenderly with one hand while the other waited patiently by his entrance.

Blaine blinked a couple of times before the smirk was back on his face. 

"I think you being with me is having a serious effect on me." He uttered a little mysteriously before planting small kisses across Kurt's lips and then licking across the bottom one, "if you don't put your fingers in me right now, I think I might lose my shit." 

He laughed at that, easing his ass back until Kurt's fingers touched him.

Kurt smirked and kissed Blaine again while pushing one of his fingers inside him. 

Blaine's moan got lost in the middle of their kiss, but it gave Kurt enough confidence to pull his finger out and push it back in slowly, without taking his lips from Blaine's.

Blaine couldn't focus on anything but that finger for a few moments, he couldn't moan either because he was too busy sucking Kurt's tongue into his mouth, but his throat was vibrating with the small noises he was able to make. 

One finger turned into two soon enough and he pushed down onto them, already growing impatient for the next part. He sunk his teeth into Kurt's bottom lip gently as he drew away slowly. 

Eye contact seemed to be their thing, as Blaine flicked his gaze up and stared into those dark blue eyes below him, he was stuck there. 

His eyelids were heavy, but he felt like if he blinked the intimacy would disappear, so he stared...and stared, all while gasping and grunting and writhing as two fingers turned into three.

If someone would have asked Kurt then, he would have been unable to describe what was happening. Blaine's eyes were fixed on his, and they were staring at him with such intensity that they seemed to want to reach his soul. No one had ever looked at him that way, and he just couldn't let that go. 

His three fingers kept trying and stretching Blaine, but there was something else. Kurt felt like all of his insides were melting together, and he was sure that if he weren't laying in a bed, his legs wouldn't hold him up. 

What was that? Because it was nothing like the sex he had known before. It was a connection that linked his chest to Blaine's, and that made Kurt need to be inside him forever.

That's why he pulled his fingers out and looked at Blaine. Kurt put the condom on after opening the package with his teeth and coated himself with lube, and without losing eye contact and with all the softness he could, he pushed inside Blaine.

Blaine broke eye contact then and bellowed loudly as he threw his head back, his hands flew to Kurt's chest and his fingers flexed in the muscles before relaxing again. 

"Holy fuck...oh god..." Blaine's voice was loud now, shouting into the darkness of the room, "fuck me…please, just fuck me...Kurt, please!" 

He writhed on top of Kurt's body, adjusting to the way it felt to be connected. This was intense and different. He didn't know why but he liked it, he wanted more, needed more.

Kurt started to move slowly. He felt Blaine squirm in pleasure over his body and Kurt was sure that was the most erotic thing he had ever seen. That and every single moan that escaped Blaine’s lips and made Kurt tremble from head to toe. 

Kurt put his hands on Blaine's hips. "Ride me, Blaine. Just do it."

Blaine laughed a little darkly for a moment and then moved his hips up only to slam them back down. He thought they might have broken the sound barrier by how loud their moans were mixed together, and after that Blaine couldn't stop. 

He could feel his lips moving and murmurs of words tumbling out, but his mind didn't pick out words, it was too focused on this feeling inside of him. 

His thighs burned after a few minutes but he kept going, fucking himself down onto Kurt as hard and as fast as he could go, feeling Kurt's fingers digging into his hips. Somewhere in his mind he hoped there would be bruises to look at tomorrow.

"Fuck!" He screamed as he slammed onto Kurt's cock at the right angle to hit his prostate dead on, and then as a string of broken words began tumbling out of his mouth again, and he kept hitting it. 

Over and over and over, feeling the intense heat and pleasure inside his stomach coil up.

"Yeah, honey, don't stop. Don't stop, just like that." Kurt cried out.

He had lost what little coherence he had left. His body had definitely won the battle against his head, and he felt like his only goal was to thrust harder when Blaine pushed down with his hips. The moment their bodies met was cathartic and he wanted more. Kurt wanted more from Blaine. 

His fingers were gripping Blaine's hips tightly and Kurt knew he wouldn't last for much longer, even though he wanted to make it as long as possible. 

"Blaine, I'm..."

"Fuck...fuck..." Blaine lost his vocabulary except for one word, which he kept repeating louder and louder with every thrust from Kurt, "fuck!...FUCK!" 

Blaine's own movements stuttered as the heat in his stomach moved lower and like a rubber band breaking, with a last snap of Kurt's hips into his, he was coming all over Kurt's stomach and his own. 

"Fuck..." He moaned as Kurt still thrust up into him, chasing his own orgasm. It stung a little but it was good.

Kurt could only yell out Blaine's name when he finally reached his orgasm. An orgasm that shook him completely, reaching every nerve fibre in his body. He dropped his head onto the pillow as he tried to steady his breathing.

Blaine blew out a rush of air and wiped the sweat off of his forehead before looking down at Kurt, who had sunk into the bed in a relaxed, sated bliss. He smiled a little as he leaned over, still attached to Kurt's cock, and placed a small lick on his chin.

As soon as he felt Blaine lean over him, Kurt wrapped both arms around his back to push his body closer. He wasn't ready to let go of that feeling just yet.

Blaine accepted the closeness and nuzzled his nose against Kurt's chin for a second, before a dark chuckle broke through the sounds of their heavy breathing. 

"You can't rest yet." He said as he reached into the drawer beside them and pulling out another condom, "I'm about to test you on your stamina, Mr. Hummel." 

He had a cheeky smile on his face as he pulled himself off of Kurt, removing the used condom and beginning the process all over again. Kurt only moaned and allowed Blaine to turn him over onto his stomach. 

It was going to be a long night.

******

When Blaine opened his eyes, there was total darkness in the room. He didn't remember when he'd fallen asleep, but it had probably been after coming inside Kurt for the second time. 

Kurt. Blaine smiled with his face pressed to the pillow. If someone had told him that Finn's birthday party was going to end up with Kurt in his bed, he would have chuckled.

But it had been different with Kurt, Blaine would even go as far as to say... special. Blaine had sex with a lot of guys, but he had never felt anything even slightly like that. Is it possible that he had found his soul...he shook away the thought. It was far too soon to be thinking about that.

Though the effects of the alcohol had already worn off and the signs of what would be a major hangover were beginning to appear in the form of a headache, Blaine thought he should seize this opportunity a bit more and try again with Kurt before he left to go back to his place. 

But when Blaine rolled over in bed hoping to find Kurt's slightly muscled back or his pretty face, he only found the empty mattress. Blaine sat up a bit and switched on the lamp, ignoring the pain in his head, and saw that Kurt's clothes were not longer on the floor.

Kurt had left without saying goodbye.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the late post xx Enjoy!! XD

All Kurt remembered that early morning was waking up to heat encompassing him. It was all around him, almost overwhelming but so tempting to just snuggle back into it and fall back to sleep. He had cracked his eyelids open and seen that it was still dark. 

The only thing was he was facing the wrong way in his bed. Wait...it wasn't his bed. It wasn't his room. Oh, god. There was also a hot naked body next to him, pressed up against him in all the right places.

He jolted awake properly and sat up, immediately regretting the action when a wave of dizziness and nausea hit him, so he stumbled as quickly as he could out of the bed to find the bathroom. Luckily he only just made it in time to throw up in the toilet.

He sat groggily on the bathroom floor for a while, the cold tiles underneath his butt cooling his overheated skin. He flushed away the evidence and stood on shaky legs. What the hell had happened last night? He remembered playing a game with Blaine, and shots and...

Kisses. Lots and lots of kisses. And touches. And sliding his hands over Blaine's body. Oh, no. 

Another wave of nausea hit him then, with a side of guilt and shame and he threw up again. How could he have done that to his boyfriend? How could he have done that to himself? To his family?

Blaine was Brooke's brother, for god's sake. Why had he let himself be sucked in by a fantasy? Why had he been so insecure that he leapt at the chance of adventure? He remembered feeling overwhelmed at having his dick sucked. It was the very first time, and it was amazing.

And now he was thinking about it, and he was hit with fear. And shame, guilt, sadness, and everything in between. He stood once again and turned on the tap in the sink so he could wash his hands and rinse his mouth out. He splashed some water onto his face before glancing at himself in the mirror. 

He could only bare half a second looking into his own eyes before they started stinging. Tears coming as a form of regret and pain. What had he become? A cheater? A despicable person?

He sniffled as he grabbed a towel and wiped his face. The darkness hid almost everything, so it was welcome. He wandered back the way he came and stopped in Blaine's bedroom door. He froze and looked at the man lying on his stomach on the bed. The moonlight from the window was shining over his back, his ass and his legs. 

Blaine was snoring lightly and Kurt couldn't help the sad little smile as he watched him. He remembered those cheeky grins last night and the way Blaine had made him more confident, the way he pulled at him, challenged him to be bolder and stronger.

He also remembered how it felt to be inside of him. The heat, the squeeze.

He shook his head, those thoughts wouldn't do. There seemed to be a heavy, dark cloud over the memories from last night. A storm of raging sadness and guilt that threatened to break him. He needed to leave.

He quickly gathered up his clothes, making sure his phone, wallet and keys were still in his pockets before getting dressed hurriedly. Blaine stirred a little and murmured in his sleep, and Kurt froze as he watched silently. 

Blaine snuffled into the pillow and let out a small laugh in his sleep. Kurt couldn't help but think it was cute, but his small smile fell into a frown and he turned to leave. His chest hurt as he closed Blaine's apartment door behind him, but he shrugged it off as after effects of throwing up. He walked outside, and the air was cold and crisp, making him shiver. But he resigned himself to walk home.

******

Blaine sat in his bed for hours that morning, watching outside the window as the sun moved across the sky slowly. He hadn't the strength or the thought to get out of bed yet. He coudn't bring himself too. Last night's events were still going around in his mind like a hurricane. He felt empty, and thrilled and sad and happy, all at the same time.

When he had woken up in the early hours, while it was still dark, and realized Kurt was gone, he couldn't go back to sleep. So he sat, he stayed. The sun came up and he didn't move.

He glanced at the clock on his nightstand, 11:30am it read. Maybe he should get up.

He closed his eyes and fell back against his headboard. His head ached as if someone was sticking needles in him, but it wasn't comparable to the pain in his chest. 

He still couldn't understand what had happened last night. It all started as a game. Watching Kurt lose his inhibitions to alcohol and confessions was fun and exciting. And without knowing how, that led them to something else. 

They started to ogle each other, and suddenly Kurt's lips were on his, and immediately Blaine had stopped playing. His body had taken over the situation and every time he got something from Kurt, he needed more. 

And then it happened. The warmth, feeling complete, the sensation that the other person was everywhere and shone, and you needed that light because simply everything was better if they are close. That had been Kurt last night... and then he was gone. 

Blaine brought his knees up to his chest, wrapped his arms around them and after pressing his face to them, he began to cry. He felt stupid... he hated crying and feeling vulnerable. But finally, after 26 years, he had found his soulmate and he had run away, probably regretful for what had happened and eager to take refuge in the arms of his boyfriend. He has a boyfriend, Blaine, you're stupid, he scolded himself. 

And for sure Kurt would tell his brother about it and Finn would appear at his place ready to break his legs, followed by Brooke, who would tell him once again how ashamed she was of him. 

Blaine cried for a long time, until he decided to save the self-pity for later. He refused to try and eat something, because he knew how his body behaved when he was hungover and would probably throw up, so he had to let it be for a while. 

Instead, Blaine decided to take a shower and go pick up his car. He just hoped he wouldn't meet Kurt when he got there... although if he had to be completely honest with himself, the fact that there was even the slightest chance of meeting him there was what made Blaine get out of bed. 

******

Kurt sighed with relief as he walked through his apartment door. Resting his back against it and finally relaxing. He was home. He threw his keys onto the small table by his door and walked through and into his bedroom. 

He plugged his phone into its charger and then went to go and have a shower. It was actually perfect being alone right now, nobody to disturb him. Kurt really needed his space, and some time to himself. On the other end though, being alone meant actually thinking about what he had just done.

As he stood under the spray of the shower, he allowed himself a few minutes to cry it out. The shame, the guilt, the sense of dread. He needed to pity himself for a few minutes, and once the shower was over, he felt a little better as he stepped out. He happened to glance in the mirror as he was drying off, and paused.

There were some red marks on his stomach, and Kurt knew exactly what they had been from. Blaine. And there his thoughts go again, beating himself up. He was an awful person. He had a boyfriend.

Jamie. How could he tell him about this? Should he even tell him? Kurt didn't know. Or he didn't think he could. Would he have the courage to admit it and then wait for their falling apart?

No. He needed Jamie, Jamie loved him. 

He sighed as he picked up his towel, hiding the marks from view now as he walked back into his bedroom. He turned his phone on, just to see if he had any messages, making sure to towel dry his hair a little more. 

17 missed calls. 5 messages. He grumbled to himself. The icon on the top of his screen sowing that he also had voicemail messages too. He opened the list of missed calls, noting that most were from last night, and the name was Jamie. But as he was about to press the button to call him back, his phone lit up with an incoming call from Finn.

Kurt frowned a little. He couldn't say he was surprised, but he wasn't looking forward to this conversation.

"Hello?" He answered almost hesitantly, and he could hear the kids yelling excitedly in the background.

"Hey, little bro," Finn's voice didn't sound upset but Kurt knew his brother too well, he knew Finn was a little worried and also a little pissed off, "we missed you last night. You kinda bailed on us before we could get to my cake. We saved some for ya."

Kurt couldn't help feeling bad about that. His mind should have been on his brother and not on his dick last night.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Something happened and I had to leave." Kurt hoped he sounded convincing, but Finn could always seem to tell when he wasn't telling the whole truth.

"Uhuh."

He knew from that little dismissive sound in Finn's voice that he was in for some trouble next time he saw him.

"...But I'll totally go get that piece of cake as soon as I can." He finished putting on a happy voice, even though he felt far from it.

"It's okay, don't worry about it." Finn sounded a little bitter, and Kurt closed his eyes tightly as his brother's disappointment hit him in the chest, painfully, "Did Jamie call you last night? Is that why you left."

"Erm, yeah...Jamie had some kind of breakdown and he needed me, i should have said goodbye."

There was a slight pause on the line, and Kurt dreaded the silence from his older brother. It never meant anything good.

"Are you going to get your car today?" Finn's question made him pause, he just completely avoided the part about Jamie now and Kurt didn't know how he should feel about that.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll pick up the car later, but I can't stay long, I have things to do before work tomorrow and my head hurts a lot." Kurt tried to sound nonchalant about it and he heard Finn suck in a breath.

"Well, just letting you know I won't be there this afternoon, taking the kids out for lunch in a minute and spending a little daddy time with them. Brooke had to go into her office for a few hours, so she won't be there until this afternoon." Finn explained and Kurt nodded along.

"Oh, that's perfect. I mean, I'm sorry I can't see you, but I'll definitely stop in after work another time. I'll go and get the car soon." 

"Yeah, ok." The hurt in his brother's voice was a little more obvious now. "Hey, did you manage to speak to Blaine last night? We couldn't find him either, so I guess he bailed too."

"Blaine? No, I wasn't with him! Well, I talked to him before I left, yes, but I don't know what he did after that." 

Another long pause on the line. He knew his brother wasn't stupid, but he hoped he wouldn't take Kurt's nervous stammering to mean anything. 

"...Are you sure you're okay? You sound a little weird."

"Yeah, totally fine. Just... a headache."

"Ok...well, Blaine left his car here too, don't know if he's going to picking it up today. Funny we didn't see him after you left last night, which was strange. But he's never really been one for parties."

"Strange, yeah." Kurt laughed it off, although he was aware of how fake it sounded. "I don't know, I guess he drank a lot and wanted to be responsible."

"You don't sound right. Your headache really that bad?" Finn asked, concern present in his voice and Kurt smiled a little sadly.

"Yeah, pretty bad."

"Guess you should lay down in case it starts getting worse. Don't want you getting sick or something."

"Don't worry, Finn, I'm okay. I just need to sleep, because... last night I couldn't, erm..didn't get much sleep. Yeah..."

"...I see. Well, I need to go, Anna is excited to go out. I'll speak to you later. You go and rest up."

"Give them both a kiss from Uncle Kurt, okay? Bye, bro."

"Jack blew one back. See ya."

Kurt hung up the phone feeling even worse about himself. He had just lied to his brother, and he knew he wasn't the last person he was going to have to lie to about it, because after his conversation with Finn it was even clearer that he couldn't be honest with Jamie. He would never forgive him and Kurt couldn't blame him. 

He needed to distract himself and fix the mess that has been the night before, and that started with getting his car back. Then he could get some sleep and think about how he was going to deal with his boyfriend.

*******

Blaine's head hurt so much as he turned up outside Finn and Brooke's house, waving the cab driver off as he got out and tiredly made his way to his car. Too much alcohol, lack of sleep and crying weren't a good combination and Blaine felt really bad. 

He saw that Finn's car was gone and Kurt's too, so obviously he wouldn't be bumping into him that afternoon. It was a relief, yes, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed. Blaine had recreated the possible reunion in his head and hoped he could get close to Kurt and feel that connection again, but he would have to wait. 

Blaine took his keys from his jacket pocket and made to open his car, yawning into his hand. He didn't know that his sister had seen him through the window. 

"Look who's here!" Brooke opened the front door and walked over to Blaine. Her voice left no room for doubt, she was angry. 

Blaine groaned quietly as he closed his car door. 

"Look, can we not do this right now? I have a hangover and I need to go and sleep." 

"Really? I was so worried, Blainey. Did you have a major accident? Were you kidnapped by a criminal gang? I think those are the only excuses I would accept for leaving the party without even saying goodbye. Did you lose what few manners you had left?" 

Brooke Anderson, drama queen. Blaine wished he had left his house earlier to avoid the scene. 

"Look, I'm sorry about that, and I'll apologize to Finn later, but I need to go." He said as he opened the car door again. 

Brooke went to the car and closed the door. She wasn't going to give up so easily. 

"I'm not letting this go, Blaine. What the fuck happened last night?" 

Blaine placed a hand on his head, his headache worsening. 

"Nothing happened. I just got super drunk so I took a cab home. I didn't kill anyone, calm down." 

"Don’t tell me to calm down! And of course you got drunk. You couldn't say goodbye though? It was Finn's birthday. The kids asked about you. Besides, Kurt disappeared too. I don't get it." 

Blaine couldn't say anything because the mention of Kurt sent a pang of hurt through him that he didn't know how to deal with. 

"You're not going to say anything, are you?" Brooke shook her head, growing annoyed. "At least Kurt had an excuse." 

He couldn't help the sting in his eyes, and turned his face away from his sister. 

"Look," He finally choked out, "I feel really bad, I do, but can you ream me out later? I need to go home." 

For the first time since Blaine arrived, Brooke put her anger aside and stared at her brother. He didn't look good, he even seemed to have been crying. 

As she used to do when they were kids, Brooke cupped his face in her hands. 

"Blaine, what's wrong?" 

He shook his head a little and tried to shrug it off, but he couldn't shake that horrible feeling in his gut that he had screwed up big time. And he had never dealt with this feeling before. 

Before he knew it, his face crumpled and he threw his arms around his sister and cried. 

Brooke hugged him back almost immediately. Now she was really worried, she hadn't seen her brother cry for years. 

"Hey, Blainey, it's okay. I'm here." 

"Brooke...I screwed up...I really did." He sobbed as he tightened his hold around her and shuddered. The pain in his head was intense and pounding and he felt sick. 

"Ok." Brooke stroked Blaine's back with her hands, trying to comfort him. "Whatever it is, we're gonna fix it. Why don't we just go inside and you tell me about it?" 

Blaine hesitated a moment but finally nodded. Though he didn't move for a few seconds and shook a little as he pulled away. 

"You're going to hate me...and Finn is going to kick my ass." 

Brooke took a deep breath. She knew she could be tough on Blaine sometimes, but she couldn't bear to see him like this. 

"Hey, I'm your sister. I could never hate you. And I don't know what Finn has to do with all this, but neither could he. Come on, honey." 

Brooke took Blaine's arm lovingly and led him to the house. Once inside, they went to the living room and Brooke made Blaine sit on the couch with her. 

Blaine couldn't look her in the eyes as she stared at him. He was looking down and twiddling with his thumbs a little. 

"Finn will really kick my ass..." He muttered before taking a deep breath and turning to his sister, pulling some courage from somewhere, "...please, don't hate me, sis." 

His eyes turned teary again. 

Brooke remembered a summer afternoon many years ago. Blaine was playing at home when he broke their mom's favourite vase. He was so scared and couldn't stop shaking, sure that he would be grounded. When their mom got home, Brooke told her it was her fault and she was the one who was grounded. Her mom didn’t let her go to the mountains for the weekend with her best friend's family. Blaine knew that Brooke had been looking forward to that trip for months, and he kept saying 'please, don't hate me, sis.' Brooke promised him that day that she could never hate him, and seeing Blaine so helpless now, she knew it was time to remind him. 

"Blaine, stop it. When we were kids, I promised I could never hate you, remember? I love you too much. But please tell me what's going on." 

Blaine smiled briefly at the memory before taking a deep breath and being honest with his sister. 

"...I was with Kurt last night." 

Brooke froze for a minute or two before she could say anything. 

"You what?" Brooke said in a higher tone than she intended. 

"I know, I know...I'm an awful person." Blaine looked down in embarrassment. 

"Okay, wait a second." Brooke recalled her conversation with her husband this morning and felt even more confused. "Kurt left because Jamie called him. He told Finn this morning." 

"No." Blaine said with a shake of his head, "…Last night, me and Kurt kind of made up after our argument, and after that, he explained a bit about Jamie and...well, we decided to play 'Never Have I ever' and...I don't know, we just started flirting and one thing led to another..." He left it there, Brooke didn't need details. 

Anger was building inside Brooke as she listened to Blaine and she couldn't contain it anymore. 

"I can't believe it. Blaine, he's my brother-in-law! Don't you respect anything anymore? He has a boyfriend, for god's sake!" 

Blaine's mood switched a little and he smirked without thinking about it. 

"Not the first time I've stolen someone else's boyfriend." He regretted it immediately though as Brooke's mouth dropped open. 

"Wow… that's disgusting. And do you want a badge for it?" Brooke cried out. "If you want to ruin your life, fine, but don't get Kurt into this." Brooke rubbed her face with her hand, trying to calm herself. 

Blaine couldn't take it anymore, he stood from the couch and placed his hands in his hair in frustration. 

"Trust me, I feel bad about it, I do," Blaine said in a choked little voice, "but I don't regret it...I can't." 

"Well, you should regret it! You can sleep with any guy, Blaine, why Kurt? Was it really worth it?" 

"Yes!" He shouted, "yes! it was worth it!" 

And then he started crying into his hands again. 

Brooke didn't know what to do. She didn't understand anything. She was so mad at Blaine, but... he wasn't okay, and it broke her heart to see him like this. 

"Okay, let's calm down. Please, don't cry." Brooke tried to find a quick solution. "I'll talk to Finn and everything will be forgotten in a while." 

"No." Blaine said as he snuffled a little, taking his hands away from his face, which was wet but there was a wistful smile on his lips, "no...I don't want it to be forgotten." 

Brooke sat confused as she watched his face. 

"I- I don't know what I expected to happen...well, I do. I just never thought I would actually find him." 

Brooke stared at him for a few seconds and then she understood. She covered her mouth with her hands and widened her eyes. 

"You felt it." Brooke finally said, her voice almost a whisper. 

Blaine's eyes sparkled as his sister got what he was saying, he nodded with a small smile, that was tinted a little with sadness. 

"He's my soulmate." He whispered back. 

"Oh my god, Blaine" Brooke got up and hugged him. "Finally!" 

She smiled as she hugged his brother tightly, but then she released him when she realized what this meant. 

"But Blaine... he felt it too? He's been with his boyfriend for years, I don't know if..." 

"I don't know." Blaine said with a slump of his shoulders, "I woke up some time in the night and he was gone. I haven't seen him or spoken to him yet." 

"Then you have to talk to him. Take your car and go to his place. I'll give you his address." 

Brooke tried to get up from the couch to go get her phone, but Blaine put a hand on her arm to stop her. 

"I can't do that, Brooke. We were both pretty drunk. I don't even know if he remembers. And what if he doesn't want to talk to me? It's pretty clear he regrets it, because he left." 

"He shouldn't have left like that. If he was mature enough to make the decision to sleep with you, he should be mature enough to accept the consequences of his actions." Brooke said, angry with Kurt's behaviour. Seeing her brother in pain brought out her protective side. 

"Brooke, please." Blaine pleaded as he gripped her shoulders, "don't say anything. I know you, I know you feel like you have to protect me, but I can't do that to Kurt. He has a boyfriend, he needs time to figure it out." 

"Okay, I won't say anything. But I'm doing this for you, not for him. And it doesn't mean I'm not mad at you, because I am, but... I just wish things were different." 

"Me too." Blaine sighed a little sadly, "but he's my soulmate. He can't ignore it forever. Eventually things will work out." Blaine seemed to be trying to convince himself of it. "You told me once that soulmates find their way to each other. I need to give my soulmate some time." 

"And I do believe it. If he is your soulmate, nothing and no one can come between you two. Everything will be fine." Brooke stroked Blaine's face, determined to convey to her little brother the security and confidence he needed. "And if you need to talk, I'm always here, okay? Even though I can get a little crazy sometimes." 

"You know the craziness is why I love you, right?" Blaine smirked at her. 

"Of course I know." She smirked back. "Are you hungry? I'm sure you haven't eaten. Do you want me to prepare something for you?" 

"Pancakes?" He asked with a cheeky little smile. Brooke always used to make them whenever he was upset as a kid. 

"Pancakes then." Brooke kissed his cheek before heading to the kitchen. 

As she was about to walk through the kitchen doorway, she stopped and turned to look at Blaine. 

"Give him time, okay? He'll find his way to you." 

"I know." Blaine said with a smile, before he turned it into a smirk, "I'm too awesome to stay away from." 

"Ugh, shut up." 

They both laughed loudly at that. 

Brooke disappeared inside the kitchen, and Blaine could only think that though she drove him crazy sometimes, he was very lucky to have her as a sister. 

******

Kurt got out of bed, frustrated, and went back into the living room. He had tried to sleep after getting his car from Finn and Brooke's, but he was unable despite feeling exhausted. The only reason he could put it down to was stress. Stress over lying to his brother, stress over cheating on his boyfriend, stress over his emotions going haywire, and stress over not being able to stop thinking about Blaine.

His lips, his body....

No, Kurt had to stop. He had to find some kind of distraction.

There was a knock on the door, and he wanted to yell and ask whoever it was to leave because he was in a fragile state right now, and couldn't handle being near anybody. But in the end, he just sighed and went to open it.

When Kurt came face to face with his boyfriend, he felt his stomach clench with guilt and nausea. Jamie's handsome face was set in an angry glare, his blonde hair a mess and his green eyes gleaming a little as he looked Kurt up and down.

"Jamie! Hi." 

Jamie's face frowned even deeper as he pushed past Kurt, and Kurt let him as he opened the door wider and walked into the apartment.

"You know I called you about 15 times last night." He said with an angry tone, "and I came by this morning, but you weren't here."

"I'm sorry. My phone died last night and this morning I had to go pick up my car, I was probably on my way when you came." Kurt replied, closing the door gently and turning to give Jamie a resigned look.

"So you couldn't call me when you woke up, to let me know you were home, to let me know you were alive?" He said with a sneer, "it's like you don't even care."

Kurt almost shouted at Jamie to leave and go home, because he couldn't deal with him right now. But the bad feelings of shame inside of him made him clam up a little. He shook his head as Jamie turned to him expecting an answer.

"Jamie, I was at my brother's, nothing was going to happen to me. I think you're overreacting." He said gently, trying to calm his boyfriend, he really didn't want to fight right now.

"Overreacting? Oh, that's great, make me out to be the bad guy here." Jamie snorted as he crossed his arms, "you know, I came here to fix things because last night I was really hurt, but when I didn't get any messages from you, I thought maybe you were done with me. I mean, who does that to their boyfriend? Do you not want to be with me anymore?"

Kurt couldn't have this conversation right now. He was really tired, his head hurt, and Jamie... Jamie wasn't helping. But after what he had done to him, Kurt could only swallow his pride and try to fix it. 

To accept the blame, like always. 

"I'm sorry, okay? I treated you so badly yesterday and I should have known that you would be worried. I don't know what I was thinking." Or about whom. Not just thinking, but touching, kissing... Kurt bowed his head, so mad at himself for letting his mind wander like that right now. 

"Of course I want to be with you. Can you forgive me?" He asked as he shot his boyfriend a sad pout, feeling even more of an ass.

Jamie sighed a little as his shoulders slumped. He gave Kurt a little smile.

"I hate it when we fight." He said as he walked over to Kurt and placed his hands on his shoulders, "and you have to admit, we've been fighting a lot lately."

Kurt tried to smile, but he felt awful. For cheating on Jamie last night and for lying to him now, because it was true, before sleeping with Blaine, Kurt had to admit that things with him and Jamie weren't working, but now... now Kurt wasn't sure of anything. But Jamie was his boyfriend, that was the only thing that mattered. 

Jamie was the one Kurt had chosen to be with, and he was here, trying to make up for last night. Kurt would shoulder the blame, he deserved it anyway.

"You're right, and I don't like it either. I guess neither of us are doing our best lately."

"I guess." Jamie shrugged, his face dropping into a sad frown, "I just get a little worried that you're starting to pull away from me, from us. I love you like crazy and I don't want that to happen."

"That won't happen, I promise." Kurt said quickly, wrapping his arms around Jamie's waist. He wanted to say 'I love you too' but he didn't want to feel even more miserable.

"Well, I forgive you." Jamie whispered against Kurt's neck, "we have to try to talk more."

His arms wrapped around Kurt's shoulders and tightened, pulling them closer together.

"Yeah, we should. I'll try, baby." 

Baby. Blaine had called him 'baby'... Kurt resisted the urge to cry. He didn't even know why he wanted to cry, but he felt an emptiness inside him and talking to Jamie was only making it worst.

Jamie placed one hand in the back of Kurt's hair, petting him softly at first and then combing his fingers through it, as he turned his face to place small kisses on Kurt's neck. 

He hummed as he tightened his grip a little, enjoying the closeness to his boyfriend after a night away.

"Jamie, I don't know..." Kurt thought about pulling away, but he didn't move. Maybe this was exactly what he needed, to reconnect with Jamie like that.

"Mm?" He mumbled as he began sucking softly at the skin underneath his lips.

"Nothing." Kurt closed his eyes, trying to relax. His boyfriend was kissing his neck, why couldn't he just enjoy it? He stroked Jamie's back and tried to go with the flow.

"I missed you last night." Jamie whispered as he moved one hand down to the small of Kurt's back, fisting the material of his shirt in his hand, and moved the other hand to cup Kurt's neck as he pulled back and smiled at him.

Kurt's eyes were closed so he moved in to place his lips on his gently.

Kurt hated himself for that, but he responded to the kiss eagerly because he couldn't stop thinking that other lips were kissing him, and he needed that.

Jamie moved both hands to the front of Kurt's shirt and began undoing the buttons, while kissing Kurt back as his boyfriend moved against him desperately. Kurt must have missed him too, he hadn't expected such a kiss.

Their tongues met and Jamie moaned into Kurt's mouth quietly, as his fingers made their way underneath the open shirt now.

"Stop!" 

Even though the scream came from his own lips, Kurt was surprised by it. He couldn't say why he did it, but he needed Jamie to stop touching him, especially when less than 24 hours ago there were other hands and lips on him... shit, he even had his body marked by Blaine.

Kurt just shook his head... no, he couldn't have sex with Jamie when he was thinking about Blaine. 

"I'm sorry, I can't." Kurt said, forcing a smile. "I'm very tired and my head is going to explode. You understand, right? But please stay, we can lie on the bed and watch that weird TV show you like, okay?

Jamie had jumped at Kurt's loud yell, and he froze where he stood, watching as Kurt pulled into himself and quickly buttoned up his shirt again. He smiled a little in comfort and a little bit of confusion.

"Hey." He reached out and gently placed his hand inside one of Kurt's, "it's ok. You go and sit down, I'll make you some tea, ok?"

"That would be great, thank you." Kurt squeezed Jamie's hand before following his advice and sitting on the end of the bed.

"Must have been some night of drinking if you feel that bad." Jamie added with a smile, no hint of sarcasm, and walked into the kitchen to make some tea.

As soon as Jamie left the room, Kurt could finally cover his face with his hands and cry. He felt like a terrible person, an awful boyfriend, but most of all, he missed Blaine. 

It had been a one-night stand, but then why was it affecting Kurt so much?


	5. Chapter 5

After everything that happened the last weekend, things began to return to normal, or something close to normal.

Kurt decided to focus on his work. He loved working on 'Black And White Fashion Magazine'. After a couple of unsatisfying jobs when he finished college, he had found what he had always wanted in that magazine, and he loved writing for them and the work atmosphere around him.

Even though the name of the magazine was 'Black And White', it was anything but. Most people would think with a name like that, it would be a boring place to work, and Kurt had thought that too when he had first applied for an interview there. Although within 5 minutes of stepping inside the building, you could never believe the amount of chaotic and colourful energy that this place emitted. 

Kurt being Kurt, a small town boy from Ohio with big New York dreams, found out how his wide eyed optimism was blown away by all the company had to offer him. He got great benefits while working there, he had met so many celebrities by just being in the same building. And let's not forget the fashion perks. 

He had so many clothes, colognes, scarves, hats, bags and shoes at home that were mostly gifts from either doing well on an article, of being creative and spontaneous. His boss loved to reward good behaviour, and she wasn't ever cheap about.

That week though, Kurt was the one that got to work first, before everybody else, and was also the employee that left last thing at night. Nobody was surprised about that, he had always been very dedicated and hard working, but Camille, his best friend/co-worker/miracle worker/shoulder to cry on there, noticed that Kurt wasn't himself. Not only did he spent so many hours there engrossed in stacks of work, but when she had tried to talk to him the past couple of days, Kurt always gave her some lame excuse to go back to his office and leave the chat for another time. 

So on Thursday lunch time, Camille dropped down next to Kurt at one of the dining room tables, took his sandwich from his hands and stared at him. He wasn't getting away from her today, she was hard headed and stubborn and that made her hard to ignore when she wanted to be seen or heard. 

"What's wrong with you?" Camille asked with a stern stare, watching as Kurt raised an eyebrow. 

"No, what's wrong with you?" He said a little haughtily and reached for his sandwich, which she only held up out of his reach, and he sighed, "Can I get my sandwich back, please? I have to get back to work as soon as possible." 

Once again, he reached out for his lunch, but she held it up again with a smirk as he glared at her. 

"Have you been commissioned to write the next magazine on your own and I didn't hear?" She leaned in close to his face with a small smile, and he rolled his eyes as he tried to grab his sandwich again, "because don't think I didn't notice how weird you've been acting since Monday." 

Kurt just stared at her petulantly while she was still waiting for an answer. 

When Kurt first started working there, Camille was the first person who approached him and offered to help him with whatever he needed. She was a couple of years older than him, had thick curly blond hair, big blue eyes and an upturned nose full of freckles that Kurt always found very cute.

But what he liked the most about her was that she was very smart and always spoke her mind, and that's why Kurt knew he couldn't lie to her, she knew him too well. Besides, it would be good to vent to someone.

"Okay, maybe I've been pushing myself kinda hard this week, but I need it. It's good for me to be focused on the magazine and... I don't feel like being at home too much." He stumbled out an excuse without going into too much detail. 

"You love being at home and having free time. Unless..." She paused, and then nodded as if she knew what was going on, "oh, I knew the ice queen had something to do with this." 

She had such pride on her face like she just figured out some dark secret, and Kurt glared at her. 

"I've told you a million times not to call my boyfriend the ice queen." He muttered darkly but she only shrugged, not intimidated by him at all. 

"Well, I wouldn't call him that if he deigned to come pick you up once in a while, or join us when we meet up for a drink after work, or even come to one of the company dinners or parties." She listed off. 

It was certainly no surprise to Kurt that Camille didn't like his boyfriend. From all of the things he told her about, she had painted a pretty ill informed picture in her head of him and now nothing could change her mind. And the fact that Kurt excused his boyfriend's absence from every social function was just another thing to add to her growing list of things to dislike about Jamie. 

She had always said that Kurt deserves someone who would support him and show up to things that were important. Someone who would actually like to meet his friends. Kurt had known she was right, but still. 

"I already told you, he doesn't really like hanging out with people." He defended, feeling like he had too. 

"No, of course, if it were up to him, he would put you in a tower and you would live the rest of your days locked up without seeing the rest of the world."

"Camille, that's enough." He said almost too harshly and he saw her eyes kind of widen at his tone, and she remained quiet, but he slumped and sighed as he sat back in his chair, "Jamie is wonderful and he loves me, and I... I don't deserve someone like him."

"I agree with that, but for different reasons." Kurt shot her a look and Camille raised her hands in apology. She knew how much Kurt could take on a good day, but this seemed to be a bad week so she backed down. "Okay, I'll stop. But why do you say you don't deserve him?" 

Kurt really looked at her then, trying to gauge whether or not he should speak the words he has been trying to avoid all week. She was just staring at him curiously, no judgement or malice in her expression. He would have smiled if it weren't for the sick feeling that started rising in his stomach. 

"I...I cheated on him. With my sister-in-law's brother." Kurt dropped in a whisper. 

"Kurt Hummel, are you kidding me?" She almost screeched out loud, before clamping her own mouth with her hand and Kurt sighed and shook his head. 

"I wish I was." 

"Okay, you know I'm not going to judge you." She said in a serious tone that he wasn't used to really hearing, but she probably knew how conflicted he was feeling and that there was something more to this than what was on the outside, "Kurt, I know you. I've known you for 3 years, and I kind of know Jamie, even if I've never met him." 

Kurt didn't know if she meant that in a snarky way or not and he opened his mouth to tell her off, but she held up her hand to stop him. 

"I'm not saying that to be mean." She said quickly, giving Kurt a genuine smile, "but I know you would tell me if you and Jamie were on the rocks, which you obviously are not. So this is completely out of character for you. Do you want to tell me how it happened?" 

She had just hit the nail on the head with that statement. Yes, it wasn't in Kurt's nature to be driven by carnal needs, especially with a boyfriend. It wasn't like him at all. She knew him, inside and out. And Kurt knew without a doubt that she could be trusted. She wouldn't tell anyone about this. 

Kurt sighed and thought he had nothing left to lose anyway, so he told Camille about Finn's birthday party, the fight with Blaine, how they talked and sorted things out, how Blaine had told him he thought his boyfriend was a douchebag, the game and how personal and intimate it got and then about what came next. 

"I've never done something like that before, Cami. It never even crossed my mind. But that's not the worst part..." 

"Kurt, do you like this guy? Blake?" 

"It's Blaine. And no, I don't like him... I mean, I can't like him. I have a boyfriend, and Blaine is... he's kind of a playboy." Kurt said with a dark chuckle, "I'm sure it didn't mean anything to him." 

"You got yourself caught in a playboy's trap, it happens." She tried to comfort him with a shrug, but he shook his head.

"The problem is that he made me feel things that I didn't even think were possible, and a stupid part of me thinks that this was something else, that it was special." He choked his words out a little, but managed to hold back the tears, even though one look at Camille's face next to him would tell him she saw them anyway. "And that part of me just wants more. And since that can never happen again, I've decided to work until I stop thinking about him and until I don’t die of shame when I look at Jamie." 

After his vent was over, they both sat in silence for a few minutes. Camille was running a hand across the back of his shoulders lightly and they were both lost in their thoughts a little. Eventually, he sobbed out a small laugh at how pathetic it all sounded. She only smiled at him sadly as he apologized for unloading all of this on her. 

"No, don't you dare apologize." She said a little crossly, "you know you can always come to me about anything." 

He gave her half a smile, half of a real one for the first time in 5 days... not that he had been counting. 

"Look, I'm sorry to be the one to break this news to you, but you can't force feelings." She said to him and he nodded, he absolutely knew that. "And if you want to work longer hours than anyone else, throw yourself into work and make the magazine proud, that sounds great to me." 

He could almost tell where she was going with his from the sad smile on her face. 

"But that's not going to make you magically forget about everything that happened with Blaine or make things magically go back to normal for you and Jamie." 

"I know, I know that." Kurt added as he looked down at his hands, "I just wanted to distract myself from everything right now. It's all too much to think about, it makes my head hurt as well my heart. I mean, what do I do now?" 

"That's up to you, Kurt." She turned in her seat so that she could face him properly, grabbing one of his hands for good measure and to make him focus on her, "I think that what you had with Blaine was special and you panicked, that's why you left in the middle of the night. You two have a pending conversation, you need to know how he feels and he probably thinks the same." 

Kurt nodded seriously at that, he knew he had to work things out with Blaine. 

"And about Jamie..." She carried on, "you know I'm not his biggest fan, but obviously no one deserves to be cheated on, though I think if you really loved him you wouldn't have felt what you felt for Blaine the other day. You need to find out what you feel and talk to both of them, because it's the only way to fix this." 

Kurt closed his eyes and sighed. All of this was so complicated. All he wanted was to forget, and let everything in his life go back to normal, but he knew Camille was right, nothing would ever be the same. 

There were people he needed to talk to, needed to sort things out with. He hadn't wanted to tell Jamie and just go back to being obliviously happy together. But Camille's words echoed in his mind all day. 

After she had told him what she thought, they had both left the lunch room to go back to work, and she smiled as she finally gave him back his sandwich. He had been working hard, yes, but he also had been replaying it all. 

He needed to talk to Blaine. Even though he was thought of as a playboy, maybe it had been something deeper to him too, not just Kurt alone. And then, there was his boyfriend. She had brought up a good point, if he really cared so much for Jamie, maybe he wouldn't be feeling these things inside about Blaine. 

He sighed as he closed his laptop after he was done with one project. He rested his head in his hands. 

She was right. Even if Kurt didn't feel strongly for Jamie anymore, he didn't deserve to be cheated on. Nobody ever did. He will have to come clean. 

But... how?

******

Blaine's co-workers in the adjoining cubicles all gasped and swivelled their heads in his direction as he let out a very loud yell, throwing papers everywhere. None of them said a word, and Blaine placed his head in his hands with a groan. This week could not end fast enough. 

The guy closest to him, James, who had been more welcoming than the rest of them, poked his head around the wall dividing their spaces and smiled at him a little uncomfortably. 

"Hey, man, you okay?" He asked unsurely, not knowing if he should be asking but he was worried, and Blaine glanced at him. 

"Yeah, just can't wait for this week to be over." 

James nodded. 

"I hear that, man." He disappeared again and as Blaine's frustration calmed a little, he groaned as he spied the mess he had made and bent down to pick it up. 

After talking with his sister on Sunday afternoon, and sorting things out with her and eating some of her special lemon blueberry pancakes, which were his favourite when he was feeling low, he had fallen asleep on the couch with Brooke stroking his hair lightly. He had woken up when a little body had slumped down on his ribs, letting out a little 'oomph' noise which made that little somebody giggle. 

He had opened his eyes to see little Jack giggling at him and Anna sitting beside him playing with his hair, and he had smiled and greeted them. He also had heard Finn and Brooke talking in the kitchen and the confusion in Finn's voice about why Blaine was sleeping on the couch. 

Blaine knew he could trust his sister not to say anything, and she didn't. So for the rest of that Sunday, he had spent time with the kids, bundled up together on the couch as they watched lots of Disney movies. Eventually around dinner time, Blaine left to go home, but not before Brooke stopped him with a hug and told him to come over next week for dinner. 

He promised that he would be there on Friday, and said goodbye. 

Monday was rough at work, they had a new project to do this week, and with Blaine being the newbie, even though he was a qualified graphic designer, he was still getting used to working for a huge company. He had needed help from a lot of others for the past three days, because his mind seemed to be elsewhere. 

And he knew where.

Even if he tried not to, his mind travelled to Kurt once and again. Kurt with his pale skin, his perfect hair, his lean and firm body, his high-pitched moan when he... 

"Anderson! To my office, please." Blaine heard his boss call him, and he didn't seem happy. Well, maybe a row would at least serve to keep Kurt out of his thoughts. 

He received a little sympathetic glance from James as he walked past, and trudged down to the office in the corner of the big room. None of his other co-workers even looked up at him as he passed them, and Blaine suddenly felt overwhelmingly alone here. 

"Good morning, Mr. Hamilton." Blaine said, leaning into his boss' office, the guy already standing by the window with his back turned. 

"Come in and close the door, Anderson." His boss told him as he turned with an unfriendly look on his face, and Blaine knew he was in trouble. 

Blaine did so and walked over to sit across from him. Mr. Hamilton was in his 50's, with slicked back dark greying hair; he was tall, well, taller than Blaine, with slightly tanned skin and a very powerful presence. You learned never to cross him. 

"Do you know what day it is today?" He said with a slight sneer, and Blaine felt like sneering back and saying something snarky and sarcastic, but he held it in. If he was already in trouble, he didn't want to make it worse. 

"It's Thursday." He said in a monotonous voice and his boss nodded. 

"Very good, Anderson. It's Thursday the 29th, to be exact." He boss said sharply, typing something up on his laptop, which had sat open on his desk, and then turned it around to Blaine and pointing to the screen. "The last day to present the project for the multinational." 

Shit. Blaine had been working on that project for a month. It was the first big project he had been trusted with for the company, and he had been working hard on it. He had it almost finished, he only had to add the last details on Sunday at home... which he obviously hadn't done. 

His mind had been elsewhere on Sunday; in fact, his mind seemed to be elsewhere every day this week. 

"It's almost ready, sir, I just need to..." He tried to explain, but his boss gave him a glare that made him shut his mouth with a snap. 

"We don't work with 'almost' here, Anderson." He said, the warning in his tone was obvious, "I know you've only been here for 6 months, but I thought you would have learned by now. If I don't have it in my email in 30 minutes, I'll pass it on to Gilbert to finish it and you'll have to split the profits with him." 

Blaine almost snorted out of habit. Fucking Gilbert, the guy who had tried to take the project over when it was offered to Blaine. No way was he giving up this account. He counted on that extra money. 

He put on his best smile, which was fake but it was charming. Although it didn't affect his boss. 

"Mr. Hamilton, I've put a lot of work into that project, please, if you could give me more time..." He pleaded, and even though he didn't really much care for his job this week, he couldn't lose it. 

The money he would get from this project would cover his expenses and apartment bills for another 6 months at least. Blaine knew his skills as a graphic designer were good, amazing even. His teachers had all said they were when he was in college, and although he had only had 3 and half years actually working in graphics, he had a lot of projects under his belt. 

"30 minutes, Anderson. You should be at your desk right now." 

Blaine got up resisting the urge to push the chair against his boss' desk. He wanted to... oh god, how he wanted to make a fuss, he was already in a bad mood. But alas, that action would only get him fired and he couldn't afford that. 

So with a painful smile stuck on his face, he thanked his boss and hightailed it back to his desk in silence. His week was going terribly wrong and he didn't seem able to take much more of it. 

He needed some motivation, something that would make moments like this more bearable, and with the feeling that maybe he had already found that but couldn't allow himself to think about it right now, he started working on his computer at full speed.

******

Kurt had spent an hour after work trying to avoid Jamie coming over. He had moaned on the phone about not seeing Kurt all week because he had been busy, and had claimed that if Kurt really wanted their relationship to work, he would make time for him. 

Kurt knew that the longer he kept putting Jamie off, the more he had to deal with the bitching and constant messages and phone calls from him. But he couldn't help it, they hadn't seen each other since Sunday, and Kurt liked it that way. When Jamie was around, he always got touchy feely, and right now Kurt didn't want to have sex with him. 

He couldn't. Not when the shame and guilt threatened to swallow him whole every time Jamie told him he loved him. 

So, after Jamie agreeing that they could spend some time with each other all weekend, Kurt hung up before he could even say those three words that made him feel sick and tried to relax. He was feeling a little lonely though, and he had been avoiding not just Jamie, but his father and his brother too. 

Finn had called him on his lunch break, but Kurt hadn't picked it up, so his brother had texted him to ask if he was seeing him soon, because the kids really missed him and wanted their uncle around, and he also brought up Kurt's promise of seeing him this week. Kurt had texted him back, just saying he would try. 

His father, on the other hand, would not be put off by just a text message. So after dealing with Jamie, Kurt's phone rang again and this time he couldn't ignore it. 

"Hey, dad." He answered in as cheery voice as he could, although his father could always tell when his voice went too high that it was fake. 

"Hey, buddy. What's this I heard from Finn about disappearing on Saturday? I thought you helped with the birthday stuff?" His father's accusation sent a chill down Kurt's spine, but he laughed it off, albeit a little uncomfortably. 

"Yeah, I just had some stuff to deal with." He answered vaguely and his father hummed down the phone. "You weren’t there and I didn’t call you to ask for explanations."

"Really, buddy? You know perfectly well that Carole couldn't change her shift at the hospital and that I can't afford to leave the garage for a whole weekend at the end of the month. And don't change the subject here. I had a call from Finn yesterday and today, claiming he was worried about you. D'you wanna tell your old man what's going on?" 

He really thought about it, he did. He wanted to yell and scream and ask his dad what on earth he was supposed to do. But he didn't need his dad to go all papa bear on him and get Finn involved either. His eyes filled slightly with anguished tears as he paused slightly. 

No, he couldn't. 

"Dad, it's nothing." He managed with a small sigh, but Burt Hummel was never one to take his son's word for it, which he loved about his dad, but when it came to keeping things from him it was a task. 

"Don't give me that, obviously something is going on. Finn's not stupid, Kurt, he loves you. He can always tell when something is wrong. Remember when he found out about the bullying before I did." 

Now Kurt wanted to cry. He remembered his brother, at 21 years old, turning up one day at the house, walking into the bathroom and seeing Kurt trying to cover up bruises. Needless to say, after the big lug, he had given Kurt the hug he so needed right then, and he had marched Kurt straight to his father at work and told him. He had made Kurt tell him everything that was going on at school. 

"I remember." He smiled sadly. 

"So what's going on?" 

"Dad...I swear, nothing is wrong, ok? Finn is just being overprotective." 

"Are you sure?" 

"I'm really sure. I'm perfectly fine, just...boyfriend drama." Kurt made Jamie the excuse, and felt a little sick while he did it. It wasn't Jamie's fault that Kurt couldn't keep himself together. 

"Jamie's being that bad, huh?" His dad responded a little light heartedly, and Kurt sighed again. 

"He's just clingy...and because I have a new project at work and I can't spend time with him, he's been getting a little bit emotional about not spending time together, that's all." It was true, but it was also not just what Kurt was dealing with. 

"Well...you better explain that to your brother when you see him." 

"Yeah, I promise I'll go and see Finn tomorrow after work." 

"Ok." His father accepted it, and then his voice turned softer, "You know I love you, and you can talk to me about boyfriend drama. I'll listen." 

"Thanks, dad, I know. But I wanna deal with it on my own." He needed to deal with it on his own. 

"Just remember, relationships take communication." His father said like he was quoting a book and Kurt shook his head. 

"Yes, and I will thank Carole for that advice when I see her." Kurt said and listened to the jovial sound of his father's laughter. 

"Smart ass." 

Kurt laughed lightly. 

"I love you, Kurt, you take care now." 

"I love you too, dad. Bye."

******

Blaine was relieved when he finished work on Friday. His boss had been on his case about this new project he was a part of. Seemed like he really had it in for Blaine, because he was the new guy. And Blaine had already been on his bad side before. 

He pulled up outside Finn and Brooke's house, but there were already too many cars parked on the street. He chose a place much further down than where he usually parked, but it was okay. He felt a little weird, but he didn't want to be rude and not turn up for dinner. So after he heaved a deep breath, he started to walk to their house. 

Once he walked in, he was immediately glomped by both his niece and nephew and he roared playfully as he threw them both over his shoulders and ran around the living room with them.

Brooke was a bit too loving when she greeted him. Once he had placed the kids down, she had wrapped him in a big hug and asked him how he was. Blaine liked the fact that the tension between them had disappeared, but he was a little worried about that. His sister had always comforted him when he was down sure, but she's wasn't a very overly loving person. 

At least, not to anyone but her husband and children. 

But after a few minutes of being there, he knew why. Finn was the same, overly affectionate as he gave Blaine a hug when he saw him. There was something going on between them, he could feel the tension. 

Awkward. 

As they both stood there smiling at him, smiling like crazy psychopathic killers in a horror movie, Blaine looked between them for a few seconds before coughing a little uncomfortably. 

"Hey guys, is something wrong? You're both acting a little weird." He said and watched them glance at each other with tight grins. He sighed and started to back away, "I can leave if you want..." 

"Who, us? Nothing's wrong." Brooke said in a cheery voice, and Finn only nodded in agreement before making his way to the kitchen, "and no sweetheart, don't leave, you've only just got here." 

She grabbed Blaine's arm a little too tightly and he still felt a little uncomfortable, but he couldn't back away now. He did however look back at the front door with a longing stare. Oh, well, he could handle one night of awkwardness. 

"Anna! Stop jumping on that armchair, you know what happened yesterday!" Finn could be heard yelling as he passed the living room, followed by a 'sorry, daddy!'

Brooke was still smiling at Blaine, although it looked like she wanted to scream.

"Okay." Blaine was sure something was wrong, but he just frowned and let Brooke tug him into the kitchen. 

Finn was working on preparing the salad for dinner, chopping and tearing up vegetables. Brooke walked past him to the fridge to offer Blaine a drink. 

"Do you want a drink, Blaine? Juice, or soda?" She asked. 

"Soda, please." He answered. "Do you need help, Finn? I can help you with dinner." Blaine wasn't an expert cook by any means, but for some reason he would rather be doing something than standing there. 

"No, no, I'm fine, nearly done." Finn gave him a smile, "just relax. So, I haven't seen you since last Saturday, anything new going on with you?" 

Blaine froze a little and looked at his sister, who was pointedly glaring at the back of her husband's head. Blaine raised an eyebrow. Did Finn know? 

"Erm...not a lot, actually. I've been swamped at work." He answered a little shakily, and Finn nodded but still hadn't turned from cutting vegetables. 

Brooke put an oven mitt on and went to the oven, opening the little door and pulling out the lasagne that was done. She placed it on top and then gestured for Blaine to follow her into the living room. 

As soon as they were alone in the living room, Blaine stared at his sister. 

"Okay, you guys are weird as hell. I feel like I'm in a horror movie where everyone is too nice until they stick a knife in your back." Blaine whispered to her and she glanced at him with a glare before rolling her eyes. 

"First of all, if this was a horror movie, it would be a lot more chilling, and second, why would you be the victim in it?" She asked as she tidied up some of the kids toys, which they had left out of the toy box. 

Blaine stared at her waiting for an answer. She was skirting around the main topic.

"We're okay." She reassured him, "even in a big love story like ours, me and Finn still have fights. It's ok. We just didn't want it to ruin dinner." 

"You had a fight?" Blaine couldn't hide his surprise. "When? Do you want to talk about it?" 

"Yesterday. And no, it's okay. Finn is just annoyed because he knows I'm keeping something from him, and I am kind of, but it's none of his business. Which I told him, and he called me ridiculous." Brooke said as she waved her hand in dismissal. 

She changed her voice to a whisper and added, "don't worry, I didn't tell him." 

"So this is my fault, great." Blaine snorted, feeling very guilty. Brooke and Finn were the perfect couple, and what he did had even managed to come between them. "I'm so sorry, sis." 

"It's not your fault, Blaine." She insisted, "couple's fight, that's what we do." 

"Brooke, salads done!" Came Finn's voice from the kitchen, and she flinched a little.

"Could you go and get the kids for me, sweetie?" She asked him, giving her best pouty face and Blaine sighed as well. 

"Fine." 

Blaine headed upstairs to his nephew and niece's room. When he walked through the door, Jack raised his arms for him to take him and Blaine did so gladly, pressing the little body against him and stroking Jack's soft cheek. He was always a little cuddle monster. 

Anna tugged on his shirt when she scampered off her bed, where she was playing with her dolls, and he smiled down at her. 

"What about me, Uncle Blaine?" Anna complained, because she also wanted to be picked up, but he only laughed at her. 

"You can go downstairs by yourself, princess, your brother can't." Blaine smiled at her. "But if you give me a kiss, I'll hold your hand." 

The little girl excitedly pulled at his shirt and as Blaine ducked down, Anna pressed her lips to his face. 

"That's what I needed, thank you so much. Come on, dinner is ready." He said with another smile, adjusting little Jack on his hip and taking Anna's hand to make their way down the stairs again. 

Blaine could hear muffled voices in the kitchen. Although Brooke and Finn were trying to keep their voices down, they could still be heard out by the stairs. Blaine frowned as he listened to a little bit of it. 

"...I really don't believe you. You said you wouldn't bring this up right now." Brooke's voice came out of the kitchen, but it was a harsh whisper. 

"Yeah, well, I really wish my wife wouldn't keep things from me." Finn replied in another whisper. 

"I'm not keeping anything from you." Brooke's voice got a tiny bit louder, so Blaine took a detour and plonked the kids onto the couch and turned the TV on. 

"Okay, guys. I'm going to help Mom and Dad get everything ready, okay?" Blaine said in a cheery voice, making sure Jack was comfortable and wouldn't fall off and making Anna sit next to her brother. "Do you want to watch some cartoons for a while?"

Fortunately, the two kids nodded enthusiastically, oblivious to what was going on in the kitchen. Blaine was amazed that children could ignore something like that, but then he doubted Finn and Brooke hardly ever let the kids hear them arguing. If they did argue. 

He smiled one last time before heading into the kitchen, hearing plates and glasses being plunked and moved around, while harsh whispers were still going on. 

"You can be heard from the living room." Blaine said as he walked in, watching them glaring at each other from each side of the table. 

They both glanced at him with the same whip around of their heads, which he thought was entirely creepy, and then they both went back to setting out plates and cutlery on the table. Even while still arguing they were still setting the table for dinner together, which Blaine thought was odd. 

"Maybe if someone would share things with me, we wouldn't be having this issue." Finn said a little bluntly as he plonked down another plate. 

"And if someone would butt out of other people's business, we could all enjoy this meal without this kind of tension." Brooke added a bit of venom into her statement.

"Guys." Blaine tried to mediate as he looked back into the living room where the his nephew and niece were still sitting, oblivious, "the kids are in the living room." 

"Well, maybe I'm just upset that my wife is keeping things from me, when we promised we would always be honest." Finn continued, as if he hadn't heard Blaine. 

"Sometimes, I don't have to tell you, Finn." 

Blaine shook his head at them both. 

"Guys, the kids are out there." He said as he pointed out the door, "can you not argue right now?" 

"Oh, we're not arguing." Finn said with a chipper looking grin as he then turned to call the kids for dinner, "everything is fine." 

Finn and Brooke were now setting cups and the big dishes on the table, and then Finn gestured for Blaine to sit down. Then, as the kids came running into the kitchen, he placed Anna on her extra seat on the chair next to Blaine and then strapped Jack into his high chair. 

Brooke only sighed as she went to grab the kids some juice, a plastic beaker for Anna and a cup with a lid for Jack. Blaine tried to make eye contact with his sister, but Brooke seemed to be avoiding him.

He had never handled silences well, let alone uncomfortable ones, so Blaine decided to try to strike up a conversation with his niece instead. 

"Anna, how was school, sweetie?"

Her face lit up with a big grin as she turned to Blaine, as Brooke placed her dinner in front of her. 

"It was good. My teacher gave me an A plus on my drawing yesterday!" She said excitedly, "we had to draw our families, and mine was the best!"

Finn smiled at her as she retold it, serving some lasagne for himself and making sure Jack had some too, before passing the big spoon over to Blaine.

"Thanks." Blaine told Finn, picking up the big spoon and putting some lasagne on his plate as he turned to his niece. 

"That's my girl! Of course you got an A plus. I hope you drew me very handsome."

"I did! I drew you, me, mommy, daddy, Jack, and Uncle Kurt!" She said as she then filled her mouth with some tomatoes. 

Brooke looked between Blaine and Anna when she mentioned Kurt, while Finn was watching his wife's face. 

"I think she gets her creative side from her Uncle Blaine." Brooke said quickly.

"Uncle Kurt!" Jack smiled from his seat and Finn laughed at his son.

The mention of Kurt's name twice wiped the smile off Blaine's face and forced him to swallow hard, but he tried to pull himself together quickly so as not to worry the kids... and so Brooke and Finn wouldn't notice, to be honest. 

"Yes, Jack, thanks for reminding me that I'm not your favourite uncle." Blaine stuck his tongue out at his nephew. "And Anna is much more talented than me, I don't deserve that credit."

"Oh, come on, you're a graphic designer." Finn said with a smile, "she obviously gets all her talent from the Anderson side." 

"Sweetheart, it's not just the Anderson side that is creative." Brooke said to her husband, and Finn only smiled at her, but it seemed more relaxed now.

Then there was a knock on the door. Before Brooke or Finn could say anything, Blaine got up. 

"I'll open it." 

He hurried out of the kitchen and took a deep breath. Okay, it had been an awkward moment but he had managed it pretty well, Blaine thought. He just needed to get rid of whoever was calling and he could take a couple of minutes before going back to his family. 

Blaine opened the door and his jaw dropped as he felt his heart jump out of his chest. 

Kurt.

Kurt had the same struck look on his face when he saw Blaine standing in the door.

"Blaine." He whispered out as his chest ached painfully, and feeling nerves kick in that told him to run. 

But he was frozen to the spot.

They looked at each other for some seconds until Blaine couldn't take it anymore. He needed to say something. 

"I didn't know that... erm, I mean, they didn't tell me that you... well." 

Perfect, Blaine, great choice of words, he scolded himself.

"Oh, I-erm..." Kurt stammered too, unsure of what to say. He cleared his throat and controlled his shaking voice, "I needed to talk to Finn, but I-"

"Blaine, who's at the door?" Brooke called out.

"Sure, yeah, come in." Blaine pulled away so Kurt had enough room to pass without them having to touch each other. "It's Kurt." He answered his sister.

"Hey." Kurt greeted everyone quietly, avoiding eye contact with Blaine. 

"Uncle Kurt!" Jack screamed happily from his chair, and his dinner went flying as his little fists pounded the tray with excitement. 

Brooke huffed a little and gave Kurt a tight smile, while she tried to clear up the mess.

"Hey, little bro. What are you doing here?" Finn asked with a smile, although he was surprised to see how serious and uncomfortable they were all of a sudden.

"I, erm...needed to talk to you," Kurt said a little nervously, "but I can come back tomorrow, or..."

"No, it's fine. Why don't you stay for dinner? We can talk later." Finn waved a hand and pushed out another chair that was next to him, and didn't notice the looks that were being sent his way. 

Blaine started gasping. He seemed to want to say something but the words didn't reach his lips. He chose to keep quiet, his eyes fixed on the floor. 

Brooke shot a look at her husband that he was completely oblivious too, and then a look to her brother, who she knew was finding this hard. 

"Finn, maybe you and Kurt could take dinner and go speak privately in the study?" She offered, noticing the discomfort from all of them and threw Finn a look that said 'don't argue'. 

Kurt seemed to agree with Brooke though. It was awkward and nerve wracking enough to be standing with Blaine in the same room. 

"Yes, I don't mind. Please, Finn." He pleaded with his brother to understand the awkward and tense air around them. 

Blaine sighed notoriously and seemed to relax a bit. He looked at his sister to thank her silently. 

Finn looked at them, noticing the tense atmosphere, and he couldn't help feeling stupid because they all seemed to know something that he didn't. And it pissed him off a lot more. 

"Ok, let's go. Let's see if someone tells me something for a change." He growled out as he grabbed his plate and strode out of the kitchen. 

Brooke watched him go a little sadly. She hated keeping things from him, but it wasn't her business to tell. She watched Kurt follow him with a tense back, and then turned to Blaine. 

"Blaine, come and finish your dinner."

******

"I'm sorry for interrupting your dinner, Finn." Kurt sighed as he followed his brother into the study. 

Finn closed the study door as soon as Kurt was inside. He put the plate on the table with no intention of eating dinner and turned to his brother. 

"I'm not hungry anymore." He said in an angry tone. "Kurt, what the hell was that? What's wrong with you all? And don't try to lie to me." 

"I erm..." Kurt didn't know exactly how to start. He was tense and felt nauseous, but he opened his mouth and closed it a few times before glancing at his brother with sad eyes. "I don't know what to do." He eventually choked out and Finn lost all of the anger automatically at his brother's forlorn face. 

"What to do about what?" Finn relaxed his tone a bit, moving closer to place his hand on Kurt's shoulder, "Kurt, I want to help you, bro, but I need more information. Brooke has been so weird since Sunday, and now I think that what she's not telling me has something to do with you, so please talk to me." 

Kurt broke. 

He had been so tense all week, and so unhappy. With no one to talk to about what was going on, well, except Camille at work, but she really didn't understand his emotions like his brother. But today it had reached boiling point, and after the shock of seeing Blaine, it all came tumbling out. 

He cried and threw his arms around his brother's chest, trying not to cry too loud because of the family out in the kitchen, but he couldn't help the shudders and the fear running through him. 

"Finn, I'm sorry...I'm so sorry." 

"Kurt, what the hell..." Finn wrapped his big arms around him, knowing that he had always made Kurt feel protected like that. He placed one hand on Kurt's back while stroking his hair with the other. "Why are you even sorry?" 

Kurt sniffed as tried to quiet down his sobs, but the tears kept streaming as he looked up at Finn's face. 

"Saturday...why I left your party early..." He shuddered again. 

"Breathe, Kurt, breathe. Slow down, okay?" 

Finn filled his chest with air and released it little by little, satisfied to see that Kurt imitated him. 

"What happened on Saturday? Is this about Jamie?" Finn asked totally perplexed as to what could be making Kurt this panicked and emotional. 

Kurt shook his head. 

"I wasn't with Jamie...I mean, I didn't get a call from him that night. I'm sorry I lied." 

"Okay." Finn said, more confused than ever. "Then where were you?" 

Kurt looked away, face frowning with shame and refusing to look in his brother's eyes as he said the next words. 

"I was with…Blaine." 

Finn only needed a moment to understand what Kurt meant by those words. Now everything made sense. He saw his brother crushed in front of him and rage ran through his body. 

"I'm going to kill him." Finn cried out, heading for the study door. 

"No!" Kurt grabbed him and swivelled them around to stand in front of him, "Finn, I am an adult, I made a choice, ok?" 

Finn completely ignored him for a second and still made to move to the door, intent on hitting something or someone to quell the rage. 

"I made the first move!" Kurt's words made him pause, and he looked down at his brother, who was looking away in shame, "I'm the terrible cheating boyfriend...me."

Now it was Finn who had to take a couple of deep breaths to calm himself. He looked at Kurt and for the first time that night he saw determination in his face, and Finn knew that he was being honest despite the pain that those two big blue eyes reflected. 

Kurt and Blaine? Kurt cheating on his boyfriend with Brooke's brother? It was too much. 

"You're not, you..." 

Finn tried to think something smart. He needed to give his brother some advice, and he just came up with something. 

"As you said, you're an adult, I'm not the one to criticize your decisions and that's why I'm not the one you should be talking to and you know it." 

"And as I said before, I don't know what to do." Kurt said with frustration, "I know I need to tell Jamie, and I need to talk to Blaine...but I just don't know what to say...I don't even know how I feel. Everything is so goddamn complicated." 

His voice started turning squeaky as he started panicking. 

"Okay, come here." 

Without taking his hand off his shoulder, Finn led Kurt over to the couch that was at the side of the study, that he used to take a nap from time to time. 

They sat together and Finn stared at him. 

"I would love to tell you what to do. I would love to have the magic words to get you out of this situation. All I can tell you is that I know you almost better than anyone, and you would never sleep with someone just for sex. I don't know if your relationship with Jamie no longer works or if you simply like Blaine, but you're the only one who can figure that out. You are the most cerebral member of this family, but your head isn't going to help you here. Listen to your heart, even if it scares the hell out of you."

"What if my heart leads me down the wrong path?" Kurt asked feeling even more insecure, "I don't even know how Blaine feels about it. Admittedly I was the one that left without even saying anything to him the next morning." 

Kurt sighed. 

"And I'm going to hurt Jamie." 

"There is no wrong path here, Kurt. The heart doesn't lie. Can you suffer and end up shattered? Of course. But not listening to what you really feel is going to make you really unhappy." 

Finn ran his fingers through Kurt's hair, ruffling it a bit. 

"You'll never know how Blaine feels if you don't ask him. I don't really want to see his face right now, but you have to talk to him. And as for Jamie, a relationship that doesn't work never makes either party happy, bro, no matter how much you hold onto it. Think about it." 

Kurt shot his brother a sad smile, but a genuine one. Apart from his father, his brother was one of the only people in Kurt's life who's opinion mattered to him. 

"Thanks." He finally said as he leaned his head on his brother's shoulder, "Just remember, your kids are out there, and Blaine is still their uncle. No fighting." 

"You're welcome." Finn smiled back at him. "But I don't like him, not at this moment."

"Well... I do. Just keep that in mind."

Kurt blushed a little. It was the first time he admitted that he liked Blaine, and Finn didn't miss his reaction. 

"You like him, huh?" He said, letting out a laugh. "Okay. I'll be nice."

Kurt patted his knee and stood up to go back to what would be an inevitable talk, but before he and Finn could walk out, Brooke opened the door with a look of rage on her own face. 

"You." She said to Kurt, who looked back at her surprised, "you did this to him." 

Kurt looked at her confused for a moment.

"Brooke, stay out of this. You're not the best person to lecture anyone right now." Finn replied, looking hurt at his wife.

"The hell I will!" She spat at both of them, "Blaine's gone. He shot out of here like a bat out of hell. And it's all your fault." 

She pointed at Kurt again. 

"Brooke, I-" Kurt started with sadness in his eyes but she interrupted him. 

"I don't want to hear excuses."

"Brooke, shut up. Your brother isn't exactly an angel and he didn't have much qualms about sleeping with someone who had a boyfriend, so don't ever blame Kurt for anything. You've been lying to my face for almost a week, the Andersons haven't been all that honest lately."

"Excuse me, my brother isn't the one who cheated on his boyfriend, even if neither of them are in the right here." She argued back, and Kurt looked between them for a second before interrupting whatever Finn was going to say next. He stood between them. 

"Look, I know it's my fault. It is." Kurt said as he tried to calm the situation, "I'm sorry, you don't know how bad I feel about all of this."

Brooke only looked at him impatiently. Like she didn't believe him.

"You don't have to apologize, Kurt." Finn assured him.

"Yes, he does." Brooke said with anger, "my brother is hurt...broken. And I can't do anything about it." 

Kurt looked down at that. He missed the painful glance Brooke gave Finn over his shoulder. 

"You're the only one who can fix it." She said softly and Kurt turned his surprised eyes to her.

"Kurt, remember what I told you." Finn insisted. "Don't make this decision for any of us, just for yourself. Do what you want and what you feel. Love sucks sometimes and even the person you trust the most can hurt you." This time he didn't look at Brooke, he lowered his gaze as he shook his head.

Kurt still looked between his brother and Brooke, noting their distance and feeling for them. He knew then that this decision he and Blaine made last week had hurt more people that just two. 

"I'm sorry, guys, I really am." He gave Finn a hug and turned to Brooke with a sad smile, which she didn't return, before heading for the door. "I'm gonna say goodbye to the kids before I go home." And with one last longing look at them both, he walked out.

He managed to hide his feelings in front of the kids, and Anna's constant chatter and Jack's need for hugs even made him laugh for a few minutes, but when Kurt left the house and got into his car, everything that had happened that night just hit him.

He wasn't prepared to see him. But the door had opened and there was Blaine, with his huge honey eyes that lacked the brightness of the other night. Kurt had only needed to look at him for a few seconds to realize that Blaine wasn't feeling well.

Brooke had said that Blaine was hurt and broken, and Kurt's heart sank in his chest at the thought that it was his fault. All he had wanted to do was get close to Blaine, wrap his arms around him and forget about the rest of the world, but it wasn't that easy.

Kurt knew he had to do things right. He had to stop running and find a solution. He only hoped to harm the least amount of people in the process.


	6. Chapter 6

When Kurt left and they were alone, Finn leaned against his desk and looked at Brooke, trying to decide where to start. He loved his wife, loved her with all of his heart and soul. They had been together for nearly 12 years, and had been through a lot together, but this, this situation they were in right now… it hurt so much to know she had been keeping stuff about his own brother from him.

He felt like an idiot too, and he didn't like that combination. It was all accumulating inside and he felt like a volcano ready to erupt. He didn't want to, this was his house and his family but there was only so much stress he could take.

"Were you going to tell me?" He asked her with a glare, and she only glared back.

"No, it wasn't my place to tell you." Brooke said incredibly softly considering the look she was giving him, and Finn could tell that there was still some anger inside.

"You're my wife, Brooke, I thought there weren't secrets between us. We are talking about my little brother here." He snapped a little more harshly, banging his fist against the desk behind him and she jumped.

"I am your wife." She agreed, taking a couple of steps forward, she wasn't backing down, "but I am entitled to keep my own little brother's private life a secret, especially if he asks me too. I was hoping Kurt would tell you anyway."

She was getting more annoyed that Finn was taking it all out on her, she didn't deserve it. She was protecting her little brother and she knew Finn would always take Kurt's side over Blaine's, which is why they were at this point.

"He told me tonight." Finn said as he rubbed a hand over his hair in frustration and grit his teeth against the feeling of rage, "he's broken, Brooke, and you came in here blaming him for everything without even listening to his side of the story. That's not fair."

"And you sided with him without hearing Blaine's side either. That's not fair, Finn." She said with equal ire, and he scrunched his face up trying to keep his control.

"Well, Blaine has a past."

"Don't you even dare go there." Brooke warned him as she stepped forward another step, and he let out a loud animalistic growl as he rounded the counter and leaned on it with his hands, "He may not be perfect, far from it, but he is my brother, Finn."

"And Kurt is mine!" He shouted, fully aware that he was letting the stress and anger out now, "and I've seen him suffer more than any guy should. Please understand that I want to protect him."

"And I want to protect mine too." She shouted back equally as pissed, "Blaine hasn't had it easy either, and in fact, he...nothing."

She widened her eyes as she stopped herself from spilling anymore than she should, but Finn's anger all but disappeared as he caught and he looked at her curiously.

"He what? Tell me." He asked and she shook her head quickly, avoiding his eyes, but he walked back around the desk and stopped in front of her. "Tell me."

Brooke may be dropping the bombshell right now, but she couldn't keep it in, especially when this was a fight about who's brother was more hurt by the other.

"He felt it, Finn." She told him as she raised her head and stared in his eyes.

"What do you..." Finn didn't finish the question, because as soon as he looked into his wife's eyes, he knew what she meant.

The only thing it could possibly be, that would hurt more than anything in the world...was a connection to your soulmate. Kurt and Blaine...soulmates?

"Crap." He sighed out, deflating now. His anger about the situation dispersing.

Brooke nodded. Everyone knew that when soulmates connected, it was unavoidable. Even if they cheated on a spouse or partner, it was still meant to be. Nobody could stop it, no matter how much they tried.

"And Kurt knows?" Finn asked a little desperately.

"Blaine hasn't spoken to Kurt, so he doesn't know. Did he say anything?" She asked and Finn shook his head.

"No, he just said he liked him. But I know my brother... he feels something deeper for Blaine, even if he's still afraid of saying it out loud."

"Meanwhile, while he's trying to get his head around it, Blaine is suffering all that pain." Brooke said as she let her annoyance show again, but susprisingly FInn now felt calm. Like he had all the answers he needed.

"Hey, this isn't easy for him. Jamie is his first boyfriend and this whole situation gets the better of him. If he's his soulmate, Blaine should be able to wait for him." He said in a much calmer tone and Brooke threw her hands out as she glared up at him.

"Oh, come on, you know what it's like. That longing to be together. It hurts." She nearly yelled again, but Finn didn't bite, he could see through her now.

"Of course it hurts, but it's worth it. I would have waited half my life to get to be with you." He admitted in a quiet voice, smiling at her now.

Brooke's eyes shifted from guarded to open, her entire face giving away her surprise and affection for the man in front of her. Finn was the other half of her, and as always he knew exactly the right ways to calm her.

She gave him a smile.

"Me too, if I had to. I guess we're just lucky we have our heads screwed on, right?" She joked and then sighed, "I just don't want to see my baby brother go through that."

Finn walked over to his wife, taking her hands in his, rubbing his thumbs over the backs of them lightly. 

"I admit I was very angry with him, but I don't want Blaine to suffer either. Now, think for a second what Kurt is like and tell me if you think he can really hurt him on purpose."

Brooke had met Kurt when he was 14 years old, and she had been around when he was going through the bullying thing at school. She knew how Kurt worked, just like Finn. She wouldn't put it past Kurt to hurt somebody, but she knew deep down that he would never do intentional harm if he could help it.

"No...I don't. I'm just angry at the entire situation." She finally said as she slumped against Finn's chest, feeling his arms wrap around her back made her feel warm and safe, calm and level now.

"Me too. We care so much about them and we've been involved in something that really involves only them, so we are going to trust that they will know how to fix it." He explained as he rubbed soothing hands over her back.

"And if they can't get their heads out of their asses?" She asked as she put her arms up over Finn's shoulders.

"Then we will be there to help them get through it."

They shared a small sad smile at their brother's situation, before Finn leaned down to kiss the tip of Brooke's nose.

"I'm sorry for everything." He said first, knowing that he had too, because he knew she wouldn't. It was just one of her things.

"I'm sorry I took it out on you, and for hurting you." She said with a sad sigh, as she nuzzled her nose underneath his chin.

"Okay." Finn pulled her closer to him. "Can we now agree that everything is settled and you'll let me take you out for dinner next weekend?"

"Dinner?" Brooke smiled, "I suppose I could spare a night for you."

"Well, thank you very much."

Finn pressed his lips to his wife's, seeking the comfort he had needed all night. Brooke made a little noise against his lips so he pulled her even closer, arms tightening around the small of her back. He ran his tongue along her plump bottom lip until she opened her mouth for him.

As the kiss deepened, so did their connection, and they felt the familiar tingles run through from their heads to their toes. Brooke tightened her arms around Finn's neck, gasping into his mouth as the kiss turned a little rougher.

With one last swipe of his tongue against hers, Finn slowly retreated from her mouth but she hummed and pulled him closer for a second before pulling back slowly. The kids were still around so they couldn't get lost in this right now, even though they could feel the pull to each other underneath their skin.

"Do you think we could make one of the guys babysit for the whole night?" She asked fluttering her lashes a little coyly at Finn, "that way, maybe we could get a hotel room, have some alone time?"

"Yes, please." He said almost too eagerly and she giggled at him, "We need it and they owe us one."

Finn smirked and gave another soft kiss to his wife's lips before taking her hand and getting back to their kids.

******

Finn left Brooke watching a movie with the kids, while he went to call his brother. He knew that things might still be fresh from this evening, but he wanted to make sure Kurt was okay, and to ask him a question.

He waited as the phone line connected.

Kurt was in bed pretending to focus on a movie when his phone started vibrating. He saw Finn's name and sighed, but he answered. 

"Hi, Finn." Kurt said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

"Hey, little bro. You alright? I wanted to check on you."

"Yeah, I thought you'd call. I'm fine, don't worry. It's just been an intense evening, but I got home about 20 minutes ago and I'm watching a very interesting movie. I'm good." Kurt turned the TV off as he spoke.

"Interesting, huh?" Finn chuckled a little, "listen, Brooke was just being over protective of her brother. Just like me."

"Oh, I know. I'm not mad at her and I don't blame her... It's all my fault." Kurt said with resignation.

"No, no, it's not your fault Kurt, I know I was angry earlier but after talking to Brooke about it, I just realized that it's just a fucked up situation. I'm just sorry it's happening to you."

"It's okay, I've been through worse." Kurt didn't elaborate, knowing that Finn would know exactly what he meant. "I'll work it out, I just need time to clear my head."

"Yeah, I think that might be a good idea, take some time." Finn agreed, "I'm also calling because I have a request."

"Oh, sure. Tell me."

"Thing is, I think the stress of all of this is getting to Brooke, and I was wondering if you would look after Anna and Jack for the night, while I take Brooke out for a date night?"

"Of course!" Kurt smiled. "You guys are in the middle of something that is not your problem and you really need a good night alone. When would it be?"

"Next Saturday, if you can manage it? Please."

Kurt was relieved. Not just because of a quiet night with the kids, but because he knew that gave him the perfect excuse to avoid Jamie the next weekend. 

He knew he couldn't go on like this for long, but after what happened today Kurt felt like he had to talk to Blaine first. Then he had an idea. 

"Next Saturday is perfect." He answered nervously. "Would you do me a favor in return?"

"Yeah, sure, bro, what do you need?"

"Could you give me Blaine's number? I was thinking of asking him to come over on Saturday as well." Kurt said as quickly as he could, afraid of his brother's reaction.

"Oh, Kurt," Finn moaned a little and then sighed, "do you think that is a good idea? I don't want to be stuck in the middle if it goes wrong again."

"I'm following your own advice here, brother. You told me I had to talk to him, and you were right. Don't you think it would be better in a neutral place with the kids as a barrier? Please, Finn."

"I think I should ask Brooke first, I don't want to be in trouble with her again. Would you give me a second?"

"Yeah, sure." Kurt knew he wasn't Brooke's favorite person right now, but he hoped she didn't make any trouble.

Finn left the phone for a good few minutes, while Kurt sat waiting. He could hear Finn and Brooke talking lightly in the background, but couldn't make out what they were actually saying. 

But at least they weren't shouting. 

"Hey, I'm back."

"Hey. What did she say?"

"Well, she actually agrees that it would be good for you two to talk. And having a neutral place like our house and the kids would be great for keeping your heads level." Finn explained.

"You know that we would never make a scene in front of the kids, right? I just want to... sit with him and find out what he thinks." Kurt ran a hand through his hair, avoiding admitting how scared he really was to know what Blaine thought.

"...Yeah, yeah, I know. I just..." Finn paused. 

He couldn't help it, because apart from his wife and kids, Kurt was the only one who made Finn feel that need to protect someone. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I don't want that either, I promise." Though maybe it's too late for that already, Kurt thought, but he didn't tell his brother. He didn't want to worry him anymore.

"…Ok, if you're really sure you want to do this, I'll give you his number. But I should tell you...Brooke has been trying to get a hold of him since he left, but he's not answering his phone, so..."

Kurt felt a sting in his chest. Was all this really affecting Blaine so much? Either way, this only reaffirmed him that he was doing the right thing. 

"Yes, please. I don't lose anything by trying."

"I hope not." Finn said and then he told Kurt the number and waited until Kurt had finished writing it down, before speaking again, "look...I want you to know, you can always talk to me about this, ok? No matter how it goes."

"I know, Finn. I don't know what I'd do without you right now, really. I just hope it doesn't bring you more trouble with Brooke."

Finn laughed at that. 

"She's my wife, I'm always going to be in trouble about something," He said sarcastically, "it's just how marriage works."

"I guess." Kurt laughed too, though he didn't sound as happy as he expected. "I love you, bro."

"I love you too." Finn said happily now, "I hope it all works out."

"Me too. Thank you for the number."

"That's ok. Talk to you later."

"Ok, bye."

Kurt put the phone on the nightstand and Blaine's number right next to it. He would call him tomorrow, and could only hope Blaine said yes, because he wasn't sure he could take his rejection.

******

Blaine hadn't thought about where he would go once he ran out of Brooke's house, but he couldn't stand being there after seeing Kurt. It was like someone had kicked him in the heart, and Kurt didn't look like he was hurt too, only that seeing Blaine was unexpected and awkward. 

Brooke had obviously called after him, but all he could think about was getting in his car and driving away. He had turned up outside his apartment building but after going upstairs to his place, he had hastily packed a bag as a thought popped into his head and he left again. He didn't want to be in New York right now. 

Blaine smiled a little sadly as he pulled into the familiar street in his old neighbourhood. It had been 6 months since he had been here, but not a lot had changed. He wasn't expecting it to be any different, but it just made it sink in that he didn't live here anymore. 

An all too familiar residence came into view when he rounded the corner with his car, and he pushed on the brakes to slow to a stop and park in front of it. The cream coloured building was only tiny, two stores and two other houses of the same kind, but this middle one Blaine knew was home away from home. 

It was where his best friend lived. 

He climbed out of his car tiredly, and stretched his back after hours of sitting there. Grabbing his bag from his trunk, he climbed the four steps to knock on the pristine white door. He waited for the telltale footsteps of his best friend behind it. 

He smiled as he heard a little laughter from inside and then steps coming closer, before the door was pulled open gently. 

It took his best friend, Nate, a few seconds to understand exactly who was standing at his door, especially as it was so dark outside right now. But Blaine saw the grin spread across his face and those big bright blue eyes widen. 

"Blaine!" he said in a whisper yell, reaching out to pull Blaine into his arms, hugging him tightly before pulling away and looking into Blaine's face seriously, "what are you doing here? What happened?" 

Blaine opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. And then he shrugged a little, so Nate let it be for now with a nod and pulled him inside. The first thing Blaine noticed was the smell of popcorn and music softly playing from the kitchen, but he was focused more on the voice singing along to it. 

"Hey, baby," Nate called out as he pulled Blaine to stand in the hallway, "we have a guest." 

"I though you said your mother wasn't coming until tomor-" The voice answered and as another figure rounded the corner by the kitchen entrance, Blaine smiled a little sheepishly, "Blaine!" 

Dylan's shout made Blaine and Nate both flinch and the other man flung himself onto Blaine, hanging off of his shoulders like a koala for a good few seconds, before pulling back and holding Blaine's face in his hands gently. 

"What happened?" He asked, his chocolate brown eyes tinted with worry, and Blaine's eyes watered slightly as he smiled at Dylan and then back at Nate. 

"I just...needed to see some friendly faces." Blaine said with a shrug and Dylan shushed him as he felt him shudder, pulling him back into his arms gently. 

Blaine didn't cry, but he did melt into Dylan's arms, holding onto his back tightly. Nate placed his hands on Blaine's shoulders and squeezed gently in comfort too. Blaine sighed against his friend's neck. He could always rely on these two people right here, they were the best friends he had ever had. 

Nate was Blaine's college roommate, and Dylan was also a friend of both of them while in their first and second year. In their third year, Dylan and Nate were dancing together in a club they were all in one night for a friend's birthday, and just like that, they felt their soulmate connection. 

They both agreed though, that it was too soon, they were enjoying their college experiences too much and they felt like it would get in the way of their friendship. So they decided to wait until both had graduated before trying to date. Needless to say, once they did start to date, they became so smitten with each other so quickly. 

"I'll go check on the popcorn." Dylan said as he pulled away, giving Blaine a small kiss on the cheek, "looks like we have another guest for movie night." 

Nate only nodded at him and then gave Blaine a concerned look, but Blaine just sighed and shook his head. 

"I'll explain later." 

"Ok, I'm holding you to that." His best friend said seriously, with eyes that dared Blaine to take it back. 

Being here was just like old times together, like they hadn't missed out on 6 months of each other's lives, and Blaine fell right back into being their best friend again. There were small arguments, small jokes between them, and they even brought up a few funny memories from college together. Blaine was comfortable here, he had always been. 

After watching a couple of horror movies and sharing a big bowl of popcorn together, they ended up just relaxing and talking on the couch. Blaine had noticed the curious glances they both were throwing him, so he had to explain why he was there.

"I guess you want to know why I'm here." He said and they both shared a sad look.

"Blaine, we are so happy to see you," Dylan said with a smile and reached out to pat his hand, "never think that you're not welcome here because you are. We were just not expecting to see you yet." 

"Especially because of the restrain-" Nate added, but was interrupted by Blaine. 

"I know, I know, sorry. But..." He paused and looked at both their worried eyes before putting his face in his hands, "I've just done something really terrible." 

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not that bad." Dylan offered with a smile and Blaine huffed out a laugh that was anything but amused. 

"Well, it's 1000 times worse than whatever you're thinking." He answered and Nate furrowed his brows while they waited for Blaine to continue, "...I found my soulmate." 

Both of their faces lit up slightly. 

"…He's my sister's brother-in-law..." 

Both of their eyes kind of dimmed as they frowned. 

"...He has a boyfriend…" 

Both of their faces dropped into sad frowns. 

"…And I had sex with him." 

Dylan's face morphed into a shocked look, and Nate winced a little at the admission. Blaine only looked between them for a second before looking down at his hands. 

"I know, it's terrible." 

"Blaine, sweetie," Dylan started, "you did worse things in college." 

Nate only glared at his boyfriend with Blaine. 

"Not really making me feel better about this whole thing, Dyl." Blaine huffed and Dylan scrunched his face a little in regret. 

"Sorry." 

"So what did you come back here for?" Nate asked as he gave Blaine a sympathetic sort of stare. 

"I guess, I just wanted some advice about what to do." 

"So you thought running away to Virginia was the way to handle it?" Nate added with a bit of a sarcastic tone and Dylan grabbed Blaine into his arms, much to Blaine's protest and he glared at his soulmate. 

"Nate, don't be rude. Blaine needs comfort right now, not judgement." 

Blaine watched as his best friend's face looked maybe guilty and properly chastised by his boyfriend before eyeing Blaine again. 

"All I'm saying is, he could have just called us for advice." Nate said slowly, to appease his soulmate and explain. 

Blaine detached Dylan's arms from around his shoulders and sat up straight. 

"I also needed to get away from everything." He said with a grunt, "but Nate's right, I can't run away from this." 

"You and this guy-" 

"Kurt." Blaine said and Nate nodded. 

"You and Kurt need to talk about what this means for both of you," Nate said seriously, as Dylan was just sitting quietly with his hand on Blaine's shoulder, "like me and Dylan. We decided to wait. And you said Kurt has a boyfriend?" 

Blaine nodded. 

"Well...he needs to figure out what he has to do, for himself. Even though you are soulmates, you can't force somebody to be with you. You need to talk and work out what each of you want, and if you don't want the same things yet, then friendship is what you will need first." 

"Yeah." Blaine sighed and Dylan smiled up at Nate, subtly asking a question with his eyes. 

"Why don't you stay here for a few days?" Dylan asked as he placed the back of his fingers over Blaine's cheek stroking the skin lightly, "we won't mind. We can always have Nate's mother over after you've gone." 

"You sure?" Blaine asked while looking between both of them, and they nodded. "Thanks." 

"We don't have a spare room, but you get the couch." Dylan gave him another kiss on the cheek before getting up and disappearing to get pillows and blankets for Blaine. 

"You sure it's alright?" Blaine asked Nate once again while Dylan was out of earshot. 

"Yeah, it's fine. It'll be nice for the old gang to get back together." Nate said with a smile and a shrug and Blaine laughed lightly, "besides, I'll only get yelled at if I make you leave." 

Blaine laughed a little louder. Yes, he had definitely missed these two.

******

Blaine sat at the table in the kitchen of Nate and Dylan's house, sipping his first coffee while watching Dylan whistling as he made breakfast. Nate was still fast asleep in the bedroom, Blaine hadn't seen him yet. 

Dylan was the only morning person out of the three of them, Blaine never held it against him because he was one of his best friends, but he was still a little too chipper. It's lucky he was so cute. 

"So, what's your plan for today?" Dylan asked without turning to him and Blaine only grunted in reply, "fine, Mr. Grumpy, I won't talk to you. I swear you and Nate must be related, the only thing I get out of him before 11am is grunts." 

Blaine grunted again, but this time with a smirk. 

Dylan huffed as he flipped another pancake in the pan, before turning down the heat and letting it sizzle for a minute. He turned to him with a small smile. 

"I love that you are here, Blaine, I do. I've missed your face." He said and Blaine gave him a sad little grin, "but you know Nate was right last night, it feels like you're running away." 

Blaine shrugged. 

"Well, it doesn't feel like there's anything else I can do." 

"Mhm," Dylan shook his head a little, "you know you could always be the one that stands up and says 'no, I will not be treated this way', right?" 

"Where would that get me?" Blaine raised an eyebrow. 

"Well, it would have kept you in New York for one thing," Dylan gave him a wry smile, and turned back around to take the finished pancake and put it on a plate, "and second, it would have made you talk to Kurt already." 

"Yeah, I'm not sure he actually wants to talk to me." 

Dylan shrugged himself and put a plate of pancakes in front of Blaine, who only smiled at him in thanks. 

His phone began ringing on the table and they both looked down at him curiously.

"That your sister?" Dylan asked, "she's probably worried about you." 

"No, unknown number." Blaine replied as he picked it up and held the screen around, "I don't know who that is. Never seen that number before." 

"So answer it." 

"No, I don't want to talk to anyone right now." 

Dylan sighed and smacked Blaine's head with the fork he had placed in front of him, getting an 'ouch' and a glare from his friend. 

"Didn't I tell you, you need to stand up for yourself? Answer it." 

Blaine glared as Dylan turned back around to grab a few other things for his own breakfast, and Blaine sighed as his phone still rang. It took some courage but he clicked the green button and placed it against his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Blaine. It's Kurt." Kurt smiled. 

Last night he decided that it wasn't the best time to talk to Blaine, and since he had awakened one hour ago he had been tinkering with the piece of paper where he had written Blaine's number. After three attempts, Kurt had decided to dial the number and there he was. Blaine. 

"Oh!" 

Blaine let out a noise he would always be embarrassed about and Dylan turned to regard him with a little concern before Blaine shook off the feeling and actually answered. 

"Hey, Kurt."

Kurt frowned when he heard the kind of sound that had come from Blaine's mouth, but he hoped it was because he didn't expect him to call. Kurt stopped caring about it when Blaine said his name though. That definitely had an effect on him.

"I'm glad you picked up the phone, I wasn't sure if you would as you didn't know the number."

"Oh, hey...yeah, erm...I didn't recognize the number, but-" Blaine was about to punch himself in the face. He felt so dumb.

Dylan was smirking at him in silence across the kitchen and Blaine ignored him.

Kurt had managed to stay calm for a few seconds, but his own nerves and insecurities were starting to hit him again. He was no longer sure that this was a good idea.

"Are you busy? I didn't know what time would be the best to call you. I don't want to bother, I can call later or... whatever."

"I'm not busy, no...I erm-I had to leave New York for a few days." Blaine replied, because for some reason he felt he had to give Kurt an explanation.

"Oh... and where are you now?" Kurt knew it was none of his business, but curiosity got the better of him.

"Just needed to see some friends. Old college buddies."

"Old college buddies? Yeah, I see." 

Kurt felt stupid and... jealous. He remembered what Blaine had told him about his college experiences, and though he would never admit it, thinking that after what had happened Blaine could have spent the night with someone else killed him inside.

"Yeah. Erm..." Blaine didn't know what else to say, but he had a feeling Kurt needed something, "did you want me for something?"

Kurt sighed, trying to swallow his anger so that Blaine didn't notice he was upset. Even if Blaine had run off to get into another guy's bed, he still had a boyfriend and was not the one to judge. He still needed to talk to him. 

"Yeah, well... Finn called me yesterday to ask if I could babysit the kids next Saturday night and I thought you might like to join me." 

Kurt waited a few seconds before he kept talking. 

"We need to talk about what happened, Blaine. But I don't know if you'll still be out of town by then, or maybe you have other plans..."

Blaine's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but a faint smile could be seen on his face and Dylan gave him an understanding look from the counter. Kurt wanted to see him.

"Erm…yeah, I'll be back on Monday, but yeah, sure. I think we need to talk too."

"Really?" Kurt breathed in relief. "Great. I'll text you when I know the time."

"Yeah, that's fine. Erm...can I save your number? I don't want to be presumptuous, but if you have mine I would like to have yours...so-" Blaine closed his eyes as he spoke, frustrated as he realized how nervous he was.

Kurt laughed and blushed slightly. 

"Sure you can. Sorry I asked Finn for your number, by the way, but I had no other way to contact you. Don't be mad at him, ok? In his defense, I can be very insistent."

Blaine laughed lightly. 

"I'm not mad. Don't worry."

"Okay. Blaine, I'm...erm... I'm so sorry for..." 

Kurt didn't know where to start. I'm sorry for leaving your house in the middle of the night? For showing up unannounced at my brother's house and ruining your dinner? He just shook his head and dropped it. They could talk about everything in a week. 

"Well... anyway, thanks for wanting to meet up on Saturday."

"Yeah, I'll definitely be there." An awkward silence followed after, Blaine didn't want to say goodbye but he had nothing else to say. "So see you on Saturday?"

"Yeah, see you." Kurt sighed and hung up.

Dylan looked at Blaine expectantly as he hung up the phone. 

"Erm...he wants to talk...about us, on Saturday next week." 

"That's good, right?" 

"I hope so." Blaine added with a small smile.


	7. Chapter 7

Blaine hadn't thought about what being back in Virginia for the weekend would really meant to him. But after spending Saturday and Sunday with his best friends, he knew it meant a lot. They relaxed him, they always have. And now he had Kurt's number too, which was surprising but not unwanted.

As he drove back to New York on Monday morning, he phoned in sick to work claiming he had a little bit of cold, caught it over the weekend. His boss didn't care because he had finished the big project last week, and made a lot of money for the company.

One day wouldn't hurt.

He thought about Nate and Dylan on his way home. On Blaine's very first day at college in Virginia, he had met Nate. He was his roommate in the dorms. They got along well enough, and Blaine was always surprised at how mature and serious this guy was. Nate's dark hair and brown eyes were cold and a little hard, but he had a good soul.

He was the one that helped Blaine study a lot, he had also made sure Blaine was looked after when he got the flu six months into his first year. They became really good friends after that. But Nate was always there, and at the beginning of the 2nd year, they decided it would be best to stay roommates.

And then Dylan came along. He was a first year that moved into the dorm opposite them in the hall. Blaine hadn't really liked him at first; he was a happy, chipper little thing with blonde hair, dark blue eyes, a mischievous smile and a bouncy disposition. Blaine had ignored him every time he threw him a 'good morning', and he never looked disappointed about Blaine not responding.

But that was just Dylan all over.

He befriended Nate first, and Blaine had been confused at first that after only a month of his second year, he came into his dorm to find Dylan sitting on Nate's bed, going over notes for class. He had given Blaine a small smile, even if Blaine's expression was anything but welcoming.

After that, he was with them most of the time. Blaine got to know him, and actually started to like the younger boy. After another 3 months, whenever anyone saw anyone of them, it was always with the other 2. They got invite to dorm parties together, as a 3. They got invited to dinner with other people as a 3… even all had sex at a party on the same night.

Blaine had lived with Nate and Dylan for only a year out of collage. Blaine had been a little stunned when after one particular night out, Nate and Dylan had connected as soulmates and had explained it all to him the following morning. They had been dancing together when it happened, the warm fuzzy feeling and the tingles.

But they had decided against having a relationship. They were free spirits in college, all of them; they liked drinking, dating and having sex with whoever they wanted to. Nate and Dylan made a pact that their friendship in college came first, and they would sleep with other people while they were both still enrolled.

Once Blaine and Nate graduated, Dylan was still in college, but they actually tried dating and that was that. They were together, and had been for 3 years now. They were the most important people in Blaine's life, and he wouldn't have gotten through his dark times after college without them.

When college was over well...

Then came the sex. A lot of sex.

All the time. Once Blaine was out of college, it seemed to be around every corner, down every alleyway, and in every man's eyes he looked into in a club. It wasn't hard for Blaine to find sexual partners; he was good looking, he had the perfect charming smile and the big doe eyes that he could use on anyone. And 2 perfect wingmen.

At first, it had been hard to disociate sex and feelings, but after the first few times where he would chase the guys like a love sick puppy, he gave up and turned into one of those one night stand guys himself. He had a few guys chase him afterwards, but all of them had been told they meant nothing and that Blaine wasn't 'looking' for a boyfriend.

Not even a friend with benefits.

After college, when he moved away from the dorms and got his first dingey apartment with Nate and Dylan, it's when his sex life really went haywire. It was a different person almost every night, and at least 3 on a weekend. There wasn't anything stopping him either, though it had been a bummer when his sister had found out. But it wasn't Blaine who told her.

After a particularly rough weekend of parties and fucking, he had left his phone at some dude's house, and some douchebag had answered the call from his sister and told her everything about him. Obviously an ex fuck that wanted more and couldn't have it, so opted for revenge. Needless to say, Blaine didn't care what his sister thought, and after quite a few fights, their relationship became strained.

Which it still was a little, but they had overcome the worst of it. He just hoped he wouldn't dissapoint her anymore, he couldn't stand that.

But...she still had no idea what the real reason he left Virginia was. She would be so downtrodden and sad about what Blaine had let himself become that he couldn't tell her, not to see those eyes looking at him with such heartache and despair.

Alas, now this thing with Kurt was making those expressions again. He hadn't meant to hurt anyone, especially himself or his sister. He thought it would be one silly night of fun and then Kurt would disappear.

That's what he gets for making stupid rash decisions.

As he turned onto the bridge for New York, he was also surprised by how calm he felt coming back here, and a smile graced his lips as he thought of seeing Kurt on Saturday. He was nervous, sure, but it was overidden by the excitement he also felt at the thought that maybe Kurt could feel their connection too.

He glanced down at his phone, sitting on the passenger seat by his bag. He hadn't had any other calls or messages since Saturday morning, and being Monday, a working day, he wasn't really expecting one now. But he did feel a little pang of sadness.

Maybe he should be the one to text… should he?

******

Kurt hated Mondays. It started in high school and continued to feel that way to this day.

Camille had to finish an article and she couldn’t have lunch with him today, so Kurt sat alone at one of the dining room tables and as he began to eat a salad, and his Monday's bad mood led him to remember what his life used to be some years ago.

For Kurt, his high school years were a nightmare. Being different used to scare those with a narrow mind, and in that small Ohio high school, if you weren't a football player or a cheerleader, you were part of the choir and your physique didn't fit the canons of beauty, you became a target.

Fucking bullying. Insults and shoving were his day to day, and the hardest part was getting home and having to smile at his father telling him that everything was fine. Since losing his mother, the last thing Kurt wanted was to give his father another worry.

Luckily, they had Finn and Carole. Carole was just wonderful, and Finn was the first straight boy to treat Kurt with respect and affection. He had been a brother for Kurt since their parents got married, but he couldn't do anything on his own against all the bullies at school. Until the day he made Kurt told Burt about it.

What came next wasn't easy. Despite Kurt trying to change his mind, Burt Hummel faced teachers, the principal and even the school board. He didn't stop until it was noticed that there was a real problem and that everyone would try to improve students' conditions and punish this type of behavior. Still, the abuse continued, and Kurt only breathed on Fridays when the last class ended and the nightmare started again on Monday mornings.

When Kurt was finally able to get out of Ohio and go to college in New York, things really improved. Kurt stopped being seen as a weirdo and began to find his place in the world.

Regardless, Monday was still the worst day of the week for him, and like he said to Camille: "honey, nothing good ever happens on Monday."

While Kurt thought that the fact that his salad was especially bland reinforced his theory, a vibration alerted him that he had received a text. He took his phone nonchalantly and checked who it was from, and without being able to control it, a big smile split his face in two. 

Text from: Blaine

\- You know, a little birdy told me that you set up this Saturday thing just so you had an excuse to have my number. And I don't know how to feel about that ;P - 

Kurt also couldn't help the little bubble of laughter coming out of his mouth as he opened a page to type back. 

\- You got me. My plan has been ruined. Are you going to block me? I deserve it. - 

Kurt hit 'send' and bit his lower lip. 

\- Well, you did steal it without permission. Hmmm, we shall see :P - 

Kurt laughed again. Why did he feel like he was 16? 

\- Excuse me, I didn't steal it. I only stole once, remember? Also, you shouldn't be texting me now if you feel that I violated your trust ;) - 

\- Oh, you didn't violate my trust. I wouldn't put it like that lol although if you wanted my number, why didn't you ask me for it? :P - 

\- And when was I supposed to have the chance to ask you? lol - 

\- Out of the two of us, only one knows where the other lives lol - 

\- So I should have gone to your place to ask for your number? Very reasonable. Plus, you were out of town... - 

\- Alright, I'll let you off ;P - 

\- Yay, I won lol - 

Kurt didn't understand what was happening to him, but those little messages between him and Blaine were making his cheeks warm and his body relaxed. For the first time in his life, he felt a connection that he couldn't explain, and it confused him but also intrigued him greatly. 

Blaine texted back.

\- I didn't think this was a competition? - 

\- Oh, it was, and I won. Sorry, loser ;P - 

\- Ha ha, very funny. So what does the winner win? - 

Were they actually flirting now?, Kurt thought, not wiping the smile off his face. If they were, something inside Kurt didn't let him stop yet. And even though it filled his head with all kinds of conflicting thoughts, he didn't want to give this up. He felt like he needed it all of a sudden. 

\- You pay for dinner on Saturday. I know very fancy delivery restaurants, should I take advantage of the situation? lol - 

Kurt doubted, because he didn't want to send the wrong message about this Saturday to Blaine, but he hit 'send' anyway and waited. 

\- I'll pay for whatever you want ;P - 

Okay, that was definitely flirting. 

\- Be careful what you say, Anderson. You could regret it ;P - 

\- I'll never regret it, Kurt. - 

Kurt sighed. His heart was racing too fast and he knew he had to back off. That was getting dangerous again, and he was sure there was a double meaning behind Blaine's words. A double meaning that he liked too much. He had to cut it off completely. 

\- Good to know. I have to go back to work now though... - 

He hated himself for cutting this short, wanting to keep it going even though he knew he shouldn't. There was a very strange feeling in his chest when Blaine texted back. 

\- Sure. I'll speak to you some other time. - 

\- Okay, yeah, text me whenever you want ;) - 

Cut it completely my ass. Kurt knew he should have been clearer and said 'goodbye' until Saturday, but he couldn't. He just couldn't. 

\- Thanks :) - 

Kurt put the phone in his pocket and went over to throw the remains of his salad in the trash before heading his office. Camille waved at him as he passed her, but Kurt didn't notice. He was too lost in his own thoughts. 

There was a pull that drew him to Blaine, and it seemed that texting made it easier for both of them to let go. He knew it wasn't right, but since the night they spent together, Kurt hadn't felt so alive. 

Maybe Mondays didn't suck after all.

******

Wednesday was hectic. Kurt's morning had been very busy. Somebody within the editing department had made a big mistake with one of the articles that were being printed, and it was Kurt's job as editing director to fix it. So the morning had been non-stop. 

He was exhausted when he sat down at the table for lunch, pulling a grilled chicken salad out of his lunch bag and a very large cappuccino. He had only just opened the box of his salad, when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He laughed a little when he saw who the text was from. 

Text from: Blaine 

\- How's work? -

Here we go again, Kurt thought as he started to answer. But he'd be lying if he said he hadn't been waiting for that for two days.

\- Hey. Work's going well, I'm about to finish what is probably my best article so far, so I'm not complaining. What about you? -

\- My boss is drilling me...and not in the good way ;P lol -

Blaine's dirty words brought back memories for Kurt, very pleasant memories. He took a sip of his cappuccino to try to cool down.

\- Oh god, you really said that... gross lol -

\- It was gross, sorry lol the guy is an absolute ass. -

\- Tell me about it. And he just keeps texting me... -

\- Haha, I meant my boss, asshole ;P -

Kurt laughed out loud, forgetting for a moment that he was surrounded by co-workers. When Blaine entered the scene, it was as if everything else didn't matter.

\- Oops, sorry, hahaha. Is he that bad? -

\- Let's just say that he's maybe one of the worst bosses in the world. You know, I've only been working here for 6 months and I've been a part of 3 or 4 big projects...and been threatened before every due date :( -

\- Ugh, that sucks, sorry. Why don't you try to find another job? One where your talent is valued. -

\- Well... it's the money that keeps me here, really. If not for that, my talent wouldn't be wasted on this place. -

\- But you don't lose anything by searching. If you need help, I'm an expert with online job searches ;) -

He was what? Kurt had had a really hard time before finding this job, sending out resumes daily with hardly any responses. But somehow he wanted Blaine to have his help if he needed it.

\- Hah! Well, then maybe you can help me on Saturday? ;P -

\- Oh, I will. Who wouldn't want to spend Saturday night sending resumes? lol -

\- My resumes are quite packed, I think we could spend all night doing that ;) -

Blaine was bragging, and Kurt shook his head.

\- Well, I can handle that. Let the fun begin ;P -

"Oh, my god! Who are you texting?" Came a screech just behind his head, and Kurt jumped in his chair. He didn't have to turn to know who it was. 

"Jeez, Camille! I didn't see you coming." 

She eyed him curiously as she walked around him, but he didn't look up at her. He knew she was giving him one of those 'I know what you're doing' kind of looks.

"Don't change the subject. Who is that? And what will be fun on Saturday?" Camilled said as she sat next to him.

"It's none of your business." Kurt put the phone on the table, avoiding looking directly at his friend.

"Is it Jamie? Have you fixed things? Or is it Blaine? it's Blaine, isn't it?" Her questions fired out one after another in quick succession, and Kurt sighed as he placed his chin in his hand on the table. 

He didn't think he was doing anything wrong, so he decided there was no point in lying. She would always get the truth out of him anyway. 

"Ugh, fine. Yeah, it's Blaine." He mumbled, and she gasped almost sounding scandalized, but Kurt knew she really wasn't.

"So what's going on, on Saturday?" Camille asked with a malicious glint in her eyes as she put her elbows on the table and leaned her face in her hands, as if she didn't want to miss a thing.

"We're babysitting our nephew and niece together. Not big deal." He said nonchalantly with an armed shrug, and she huffed out a laugh.

"Do you realize how domestic that sounds, Kurt? Being uncles together." She giggled.

"Please, stop." Kurt sighed. "It's just a chance to clear things up. My brother and his wife had a fight because of us and we feel terrible."

"You told your brother? Bet he was pissed."

"Yes, I did and he was. That's why we're doing this."

Kurt hoped that would make everything clear and Camille wouldn’t keep asking, but she insisted.

"So babysitting together is supposed to sort this mess out? I don't buy it."

"You're not helping here, Cami. We'll talk, people solve things by talking."

"Yeah, sure. Most of the time. But don't you think being alone will be a distraction? You told me this guy is special, that you felt something different. What happens when the kids go to bed?"

Kurt snorted. It's true that he had thought about it, but he wasn't going to tell Camille she might be right.

"We're not animals, okay? Nothing's going to happen, no matter how special he is."

"Honey, I'm not judging you." She said with a sad smile, "things get complicated with special people."

Text from: Blaine

\- I doubt sending resumes with anyone else would be fun. But with you...maybe it will be ;) - 

Kurt looked at his phone, read the text and pretended to focus on his food so Camille wouldn't see his smile.

"We'll just talk, trust me." Kurt repeated, trying to convince Camille… and himself. "I can't let anything else happens again."

"That smile you're trying to hide says differently." She said with a smirk, and then walked away.

As soon as Camille left, Kurt picked up his phone again.

\- I'm sure it'll be, I'm a funny guy. Btw, can't wait for Saturday. -

Blaine didn't reply immediately, and Kurt began to think that he had gone too far. But a few seconds later…

\- Can't wait either :) -

******

Kurt had never felt so awkward as he did right now, with Jamie sitting across from him and having dinner together in complete silence. 

He knew Jamie was trying to spend time together, being his boyfriend and all, but Kurt felt like every time they got together over the last two weeks, it always ended in a fight. 

Then Jamie would get upset and leave. And so it went on, and on, and on... 

Kurt still felt like shit about everything, but he didn't have the courage to tell him yet. It wasn't that Kurt didn't want to tell him; he would, eventually. But he knew it was gonna hurt like hell, for Jamie and for him. Until then, he was trying to keep up appearances, which he knew was contradictory.

Text from: Blaine

\- Friday night in the city that never sleeps, and I'm lying on the couch in my pyjamas. Am I pathetic? lol -

Both Kurt's and Jamie's eyes looked at the phone on the table as it buzzed, and Kurt was careful to school his emotions as he read and answer it. 

\- Better than awkward silences lol -

Kurt placed the phone back down and went back to eating.

Jamie looked at Kurt and was about to say something, but he decided to let that go and stayed focused on his plate.

\- Oh, you're not alone, right? -

Kurt looked down at it again. He couldn't help it, he couldn't resist the messaging. The texts somehow made every day a bit better, even when he was spending time with his boyfriend. 

Which should have concerned him more than it did.

\- Yeah, but sometimes I wish I was lol -

"Okay, who the hell is texting you?" Jamie growled. "We're having dinner."

Kurt looked up, surprised at the tone, but his eyes narrowed. 

"Just a friend."

\- I'm sorry, Kurt. If it helps, I'm here. -

Once it buzzed again, Kurt almost let out a sigh.

"A friend? And can't you tell that friend that you're with your boyfriend right now?"

"He knows I am. He's just asking how it's going."

"Excuse me, does he keep texting you even though you told him you have company?" Jamie slammed the knife and fork down on the table. "And who is he? Do I know him?"

Kurt didn't let Jamie see that he nearly flinched at the slam on the table.

"You don't know him, no. His name is Blaine." Kurt glared across the table, "and if you had come to Finn's party with me, you would know who he is."

"Again? Can't a single day go by without you talking about that damn party? If you made some new friends there, I don't think you missed me too much."

"I haven't mentioned the damn party for two weeks, and he's not a new friend. He's part of the family." Kurt said, getting more and more annoyed with Jamie's attitude. 

Why did he think spending time together tonight would be any different to all the other nights together?

"Part of the family, huh? You've never told me about him. How old is he? What he does for a living? I'm so interested." 

Jamie crossed his arms and looked at Kurt. He was clearly angry.

"I'm not telling you anything the way you're acting right now. You don't deserve to know." Kurt told him equally as angry, pushing his plate away, having lost his appetite, and standing from the table.

"Are you hiding things from me, Kurt? You've been acting like a child since that party, and now you are texting with a guy I know absolutely nothing about when I've been here for almost an hour and you didn't even ask me how my day was?" Jamie got up from the table and started pacing the room.

"Oh, I'm acting like a child?" Kurt shouted at him, "I'm hiding things from you? Don't make me laugh, Jamie. And I can talk to other men if I want to, I'm an adult. And you haven't spoken a word since you got here either, so stop acting like a dick."

Jamie took a deep breath and stared at Kurt for a few seconds. 

"Show me your phone."

Kurt's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in disbelief. 

"What? No!"

"Do you want me to trust you? If that guy is just a fucking family member, why can't I read your texts?"

"Who do you think you are?" Kurt screamed out as his rage exploded, "you cannot demand to see my phone. I have a right to have my own friends, and my own privacy!"

He quieted his screaming for a moment and took a deep breath. 

"If you don't trust me, well, that's on you. It's not my problem." 

Only it was. And even though Kurt was angry, he knew that Jamie was right in thinking he couldn't trust him.

"That's bullshit!" Jamie yelled at him, his face red with anger." I'm your boyfriend, remember? Even though you don't look at me or touch me lately, I'm still your boyfriend, and I'm having a lot of patience with you, Kurt, so show me your stupid phone now!"

Kurt took a couple more deep breaths, and as the phone in his hand vibrated again, he glared at Jamie. 

"Get out." His voice was deadly calm as he said it, and for a second he almost couldn't believe that he had actually uttered the words. But he really couldn't do this now.

"What did you just say?" His boyfriend asked, equally surprised.

"I said get out."

"Don't fuck with me, Kurt. Don't you dare kick me out of your house right now."

"It's my place, and it's my privacy you're trying to force your way into. I'm not fucking with you, Jamie. So get out."

Jamie moved closer until he was right in front of Kurt. 

"If I leave now, I won't come back begging for your forgiveness. Think about the consequences of this."

Kurt shook his head.

"Then get out and don't come back."

"Fuck you, Kurt. Fuck you!" Jamie screamed out before picking up his things and slamming the door, making the living room walls shake.

Kurt closed his eyes as the silence reigned down on him. He breathed deeply and calmly before he snapped. 

He let out some kind of yell that didn't sound like it came from him and kicked over the side table by the couch, and the vase on top went crashing to the floor. 

He watched the mess for a minute and then leaned on the back of the couch before looking at the text he had received before.

\- Do me a favor: if Jamie is being a douchebag today, remind him how lucky he is to have you. That alone should be enough to fix things. Good night. -

Now that one hurt. 

Kurt couldn't take it anymore. He cried out loud. He had so much rage, so much guilt and so much hurt running through his system that he fell over on the couch clutching his phone to his chest. And he didn't move for the rest of the night.


	8. Chapter 8

Kurt was nervous. Although he had known this day was coming, and all week his friendship with Blaine had been increasing, it was still very nerve wracking because he knew what was going to happen tonight. 

And even though he had been putting on this brave front all week, he was actually pretty terrified of the talk that was coming. 

As he pulled his car up to Finn's driveway, he took a couple more deep calming breaths before stepping out. He had told Blaine to get there at 8pm, but he himself was getting there at 7:30, because he felt like he had to prepare and settled down before the big stuff happened. 

The kids always helped to calm him, and he knew he would feel better once he was with them. He put on a smile as he approached the door, even though he was exhausted after not sleeping properly last night. 

Brooke opened the door with a smile ready for him, but he knew he must look like crap once the smile dropped into a frown on her face. 

"Hey, you okay? You look like shit." She asked with a smirk and Kurt smiled a little wider. 

"Yeah, I'm okay. I promise." He said as she stepped back and let him inside, "just didn't get much sleep last night." 

At her confused look, he gave her a shake of his head. He didn't want to talk about it.

Kurt looked at her as she nodded in understanding and backed away a little more. She was wearing a navy blue dress, that was form hugging, with ruched parts around the bodice, and matching colour in chunky heeled shoes. She had her dark hair down around her shoulders and they fell in luscious curls, and she had a little makeup on but not too much; she looked equal parts gorgeous and natural. It was a good look on her. 

"You look beautiful." He complimented as he gave her another once over, "very sophisticated."

"Oh, thank you, Kurt." Brooke replied, blushing slightly. "It's been a long time since the two of us went out alone and I wanted to dress up a little more than usual."

Before Kurt could say anything, Brooke stepped forward. She had been thinking about something for days and needed to get it out. 

"Kurt, I'm really sorry about what happened the other day. I was angry but I had no right to speak to you like I did."

"Oh, it's okay. It was a tense situation. I don't really blame you for yelling at me."

"Well, I blame myself. I shouldn't have attacked you like that, I know you and I know this isn't easy for you either."

"No, but...it's just complicated." Kurt said with a sad, tired smile, and shrugged. "I just want to make things right."

"You can do it." Brooke assured him, putting her hand on his arm to reinforce her words. "I think you had a great idea about Blaine coming over today. It may be a bit weird at first though, after how he left last week."

"Yeah." Kurt said, knowing that bringing up the texts now would be another problem so he kept that secret, even though he felt like crap keeping stuff from her again, "I think it will go well. Having the kids here would keep our heads clear."

"Yeah, my kids are sure to be helpful. They inherited the easiness of my nature."

"Erm…" Finn appeared as she said that and gave her a little playful look, "there is nothing easy about living with Anderson women. Anna gets that from you."

Kurt looked over his brother, assessing his outfit too. He looked great. 

His hair was gelled spiky and with a small swipe to the side, just like when he was 18. He had a light blue shirt on, buttons open at the top, black trousers and smart shoes.

"Watch what you say, Hudson. I don't think you want to go out to dinner alone." Brooke smiled and couldn't help but glance at her husband. "Oh, look at you! You're really handsome tonight."

"You really are." Kurt agreed with her, and Finn gave them both a grin. 

"I wanted to look good for my lady." He said as he leaned into her to peck a light kiss on her lips, before turning to greet his brother, "hey...you okay? You look like shit." 

Kurt rolled his eyes. 

"That is exactly what your wife said. You two are definitely soulmates."

"Leave him alone, he's just tired." Brooke scolded her husband, before smiling at Kurt. "There's nothing a quiet night with Anna and Jack won't fix."

"Oh, yeah. The kids keep any funny business at bay, trust me." Finn let his mouth run away with him a little, and Kurt looked at his brother a little offended before Brooke clipped Finn on the head for his comment. 

"Nothing like that is gonna happen here, Finn, I can promise you that." Kurt said a little adamant.

"We know that. It's just that your brother enjoys messing with you, right?" 

Brooke gave Finn a pointed look, as if to say 'we said it was none of our business, shut up' before looking at her wristwatch. "We should go now if we don't want to be late for the reservation."

Finn looked a little ashamed for what he said and he pulled his brother against him.

"Sorry. I'm sorry." He said and, as he pulled back, Kurt nodded at him. 

"The kids have had dinner." Finn said as Brooke went to grab her coat and purse, and he watched her go before leaning in and whispering to Kurt, "but there is ice-cream in the freezer if they want something later." 

Kurt chuckled under his breath and patted his brother's arm. 

"Don't worry, Finn, they're in good hands."

"I heard you!" Brooke exclaimed going up to them again. "You're worse than kids, you're lucky that I love you." 

Brooke walked over to Kurt and kissed him on the cheek. 

"Don't let them stay up late, okay? And… good luck." She winked at him and grabbed onto Finn's arm. "Let's go."

Finn winked at him as his wife dragged him out of the door, and Kurt laughed before venturing into the house further. He found the kids sitting in front of the television, watching some little cartoon about birds. 

He smiled at the way they were sitting, Jack had his feet up on the end of the couch and was laying on his side, and Anna was sitting cross-legged on the chair. 

He cleared his throat to announce his presence. 

"Hey, sweethearts."

"Uncle Kurt!" Anna ran up to meet him. She hugged his leg tightly and grabbed his hand, trying to drag him onto the couch. "Come on, sit down and watch the birds with us."

"A cartoon about birds, how could I resist?" He laughed as he sat down beside Jack, who jumped onto his lap as he sat down. 

Anna sat on one side of him and Jack cuddled into his chest, as Kurt could feel the nerves melting out of him. 

"Hey, guess who else is coming over tonight." He told them with a small smile.

"Who? Who?" Anna asked, turning with a smile to her uncle.

"Uncle Blaine." He said as he watched the excitement bounce on both of their faces.

"Yay!" Anna squealed, clapping her little hands together. "Uncle Blaine is amazing."

Jack giggled as he clung onto Kurt's shirt. "Uncle Bane!" He shouted happily, watching his sister with a wide smile.

"Yeah, me and Uncle Blaine are going to be playing games with you tonight, and then I'll read you guys a story at bedtime." Kurt explained to them both, as they were practically bouncing on the couch. "And I'll be staying with you guys, and making breakfast tomorrow." He added.

"Best night ever!" Anna exclaimed. "Will you make us pancakes for breakfast, Uncle Kurt? Uncle Blaine loves them."

"Of course I will, sweetie, but I don't know if Uncle Blaine is staying too-" 

He was cut off in explaining by the sound of a knock on the door. Jack and Anna looked over at the sound and Kurt grinned as he got up. 

"Guess he's here. Come on, let's go bring him in." Kurt said as he got up to go answer the door, with Jack and Anna running behind him.

Once Kurt reached the door and opened it, he only saw part of Blaine's face before he was tackled by the kids.

"Hi, guys. Oh!" 

Blaine laughed as soon as the kids were on top of him. He bent down to scoop them up in his arms and covered their faces with kisses. Kurt laughed with them, and watched as Blaine flung them around his arms. 

"How are my favorite nephew and niece?" He gushed at them before putting them down and Anna giggled up at him. 

"We're the only ones, Uncle Blaine." 

"I know." He smiled at her, "but you're still my favorites." 

She giggled again and then pointed at Kurt. 

"Uncle Kurt is here too." 

"I see." Blaine looked up for the first time that night at Kurt, smiling at him. "Hi, Kurt." 

Kurt had no control over his smile; it had happened while Blaine had been texting him all week, and now it happened again. He could feel it stretching his lips as he looked at Blaine. 

"Hi." He replied, softly, unsure of what else to say right now. 

Then Blaine actually looked at Kurt, and noticed that even though his smile was sincere, something was wrong. Something looked a little off about his eyes, they almost seemed sad. And taking a better look at Kurt, he could see how tired he looked as well. 

"Anna, I'll bet it takes you more than a minute to get to the couch." Blaine teased his niece, as her eyes lit up with excitement. "I'm counting: one..." 

The girl let out a giggle and ran off. Blaine bent down and scooped his nephew back up, holding Jack in his arms and looked back at Kurt. 

"Are you okay?" He asked as his brows creased with concern.

Kurt's eyes widened a little in surprise, and his smile dulled a little. He wasn't expecting such a question, it caught him a little off guard. 

But he nodded anyway. Blaine didn't really need to know about his things with Jamie right now. 

"Yeah, I'm ok, just tired." He said as his eyes pleaded with Blaine to leave the explanation until later.

Blaine understood that now was not the time to delve into that, so he nodded.

"Okay." 

"Uncle Blaine, it took me less than a minute!" Anna's breathless voice came from the living room, and they both laughed. 

"Let's go inside, I challenged her and she won me, we shouldn't leave her alone."

Blaine put his free hand on Kurt's arm to signal for them to enter, but Kurt flinched slightly and Blaine pulled it away immediately.

"Sorry, I just..." Kurt had no explanation for why he was jumpy, but he knew it was his nerves starting to come back, "yeah, we should...we should go with her." 

He turned to walk back to the living room with Blaine following. Why was he feeling like he didn't know what he was doing now? He had no idea.

Blaine wasn't going to lie, Kurt's reaction when he touched him had hurt him, but he didn't want to force the situation. 

"There's my little winner." Blaine said as soon as they reached the living room, smiling at his niece. 

He flopped down next to the little girl on the couch, settling Jack on his lap and sneaking a peek at Kurt, who sat on the other side of Anna.

"I'm very fast." Anna said with a proud smile.

"You are very fast, honey." Kurt agreed, smiling at her proudly, "but that is because your Uncle Blaine is old." 

He smiled up at Blaine as their niece giggled, trying to convey that he was playing. He didn't want to be awkward around the kids. 

Jack jumped on Blaine's lap. 

"Bane old!"

"Ouch." Blaine pretended to be offended by the comment, but smiled back at Kurt before turning to his nephew and fiddling with his hair. "Don't listen to Uncle Kurt, he thinks he's very funny but he's only a year younger than me."

"A year younger, and a lot prettier." Kurt playfully preened, pretending to fix his hair a little.

"That's true." Blaine stared at Kurt until a tiny hand hovered over his. 

"I don't want to see any more birds. I want to watch a princess movie." Anna said, looking first at one of her uncles and then the other.

Kurt could not fight the blush that dusted his cheeks at Blaine's agreement of him being beautiful. Blaine didn't look like he said it just because of being playful, the look in his eyes told Kurt that he meant it. 

Which is very dangerous territory, because Kurt was already getting flustered. 

He stared down at Anna for a second and put on a smile. 

"What princess movie?" He asked as he avoided Blaine's eyes.

"Beauty and the Beast. It's my favorite!" Anna said, her eyes bright with excitement as she looked at Kurt.

"Mine is The Little Mermaid, but Belle is my favorite princess." Kurt told her as he stood up to get the dvd and put it in.

Jack slid down off of Blaine's lap and toddled after Kurt, hanging onto his leg as Kurt was setting up the movie. Kurt's hand moved to go through Jack's hair.

"I think Jack agrees with the choice of the movie. Me too, though none of you asked me." Blaine joked. 

"Uncle Blaine, Belle is Uncle Kurt's favorite princess, it wouldn't have mattered if you disagreed." Anna replied with a superior face. 

"Wow, thank you, Anna. I think I should go home, no one would notice my absence."

"Oh, stop feeling sorry for yourself." Kurt laughed as he walked back over to the couch, "it was lady's choice tonight." 

Kurt reached out and brushed his fingers through Anna's hair, and then pulled Jack up onto his lap. The little boy snuggled into Kurt's chest and just lay there.

Blaine smirked to himself before facing the TV, willing to try to focus on the movie and not the fact that the only thing that separated him from Kurt was his niece's small body. 

"It's starting, it's starting!" Anna yelled excitedly.

Jack giggled at his sister and she turned to shush him, and Kurt tried not to laugh as Jack poked his tongue out at her and she huffed as she turned back to watch the movie. 

"Hey, don't be rude." He said as he poked Jack's side, causing the little boy to squirm slightly. 

"Sowwy." He mumbled into Kurt's shirt. 

Kurt flicked his eyes over towards Blaine. He wasn't uncomfortable sitting in the same vicinity, but there were some jittery nerves dancing underneath his skin at how close they were sitting together. 

He turned back and tried to concentrate on the movie.

The movie progressed between the shouts of excitement of the little ones and the laughter of Blaine and Kurt watching their nephew and niece enjoying so much.

When Anna's favorite scene arrived, the one when Belle and Beast dance together, Anna jumped to her feet and extended her little arm towards Blaine.

"Uncle Blaine, dance with me."

Blaine laughed, suddenly nervous.

"Anna, honey, I don't know..."

Kurt chuckled lightly. 

"Go on, Uncle Blaine, let's see those moves." He said with a grin as Anna was still standing and waiting.

"Uncle Kurt, dance! Dance!" Jack said to Kurt excitedly, wanting to join in the fun.

"You'll pay for this." Blaine said looking at Kurt, though he immediately turned to his niece. "As you wish, my lady." 

Blaine got up and picking up Anna in his arms, began to circle around the low table in the living room. 

"Uncle Blaine, you dance awful." Anna protested, though she couldn't stop laughing.

Kurt had gotten up with Jack in his arms and was swinging him around the living room, as Jack was giggling happily. As he turned to watch Blaine and Anna, he laughed lightly at her little pouting face as Blaine still held her. 

"Okay, put me down." Anna demanded, and as soon as Blaine did what she asked, she looked up at him with her hands on her hips. "This is a disaster. Dance with Uncle Kurt instead." 

Blaine looked quickly at Kurt, opening his mouth to say something but not making a sound. Kurt looked down at her shocked. And flicked his eyes up at Blaine again. 

"Oh, sweetheart, Uncle Blaine doesn't want to dance with me." He said almost too nervously, and Jack wriggled around in his arms.

"Uncle Kurt and Uncle Bane dance! Yay!" Jack yelled out loud and Kurt smiled at him as he put him down.

"Well... I mean, I don't care." Blaine got to say. 

"Yes, please!" Anna started bouncing around the place, really excited. 

"Kurt?" Blaine asked.

"Dance!" Jack said as he crawled onto the couch and clapped his hands. 

Kurt looked at his nephew and niece, eyes wide with excitement and hope, their little innocent faces smiling. He couldn't say no. 

He looked back at Blaine, and made a mental note that there were kids in the room so this was all innocent. He took a little breath before smiling at Blaine.

"Okay." He said as he walked towards him, turning to face the kids, "one dance."

They both nodded.

Blaine moved a little closer to Kurt, and carefully placed his hands on his waist. Before continuing, Blaine looked at Kurt right in the eye, making sure everything was okay.

Kurt got a little chill from being so close, but he managed a small smile at Blaine as he moved his hands up to hold his shoulders. 

He could do this. The amount of worry in Blaine's eyes made him believe it would be okay.

Seeing that Kurt seemed to agree, Blaine began to move to the beat of the music, though the movie seemed to be playing in another room. Everything seemed far away, Blaine had a hard time paying attention to anything other than Kurt.

He held his waist a little more firmly without taking his eyes from Kurt's for a second, while his scent seemed to reach everything.

And Kurt was lost already. 

Nothing else registered in his mind. Looking into Blaine's eyes and locking gazes as they moved, he felt warmth again spread throughout his entire body. 

His arms and hands felt numb but he moved them as they stepped closer, slowly pulling them up and wrapping them around Blaine's neck. 

The music around them was blurry, and so was the room. Everything in it seemed to disappear out of his peripheral vision. 

Blaine's face came closer, and Kurt could feel breath against his face. He could just lean in and this would all make sense, he could lose himself in the moment. 

He could just throw all caution to the wind. He could just let go.

Blaine knew his legs were still moving, but the rest of his body seemed to be paralyzed. Kurt was suddenly very close to him, and he could swear it was Kurt who had made the move. 

His mouth. His mouth was barely inches from his, and Blaine couldn't help staring into those perfect full lips for a moment before losing himself back into his blue eyes. 

The intense heat invaded Blaine, it was almost suffocating but in a pleasant way. Blaine needed more, he wanted to lose what little restraint he had left in that moment and just kiss him.

A giggle cut through the moment like a sword. And ice washed through Kurt's veins as he and Blaine stopped moving and just stared at each other, before moving apart and looking over at the kids.

"Oh my god, you guys are even worse together." Anna stated between amused and disappointed, Jack's hand in hers. "The only thing you guys did was come so close and look at each other the whole time, it was weird."

Blaine forced a laugh to the kids, and trying to calm his breathing, he sat down with them.

"I told you, I'm not very good at this."

Kurt stood frozen for a second. 

He looked between the kids and Blaine's face. What had he been about to do? Kissing Blaine in front of the kids? 

He was such a terrible person.

He could feel tears stinging his eyes as he loathed himself right now. He coughed a little uncomfortably before mumbling something about the bathroom and walking away quickly.

Blaine sighed. His first instinct was to run after Kurt, but he knew it wouldn't be fair. Kurt needed a moment to compose himself and the least he could do after ogling him and almost kissing him in front of the kids was to give him a moment. He needed it too. 

"Guys, it's getting late. Why don't you go to bed now and finish the movie tomorrow, huh?" Blaine asked, pressing the stop button on the remote. 

"We are not tired, Uncle Blaine!" Anna complained. "Besides, Uncle Kurt was going to read us a story, he told us." 

"Uncle Kurt isn't feeling very well right now, but I know you love him a lot, right?" He asked and the two kids nodded. "Okay, well, if you go to bed now, I promise you that next time I'll read you two stories, okay?" 

Jack yawned and Anna sighed in resignation. 

"You'll have to do different voices." Anna demanded as she narrowed her eyes at him, and he nodded. 

"I promise," Blaine agreed as he scooped Jack up, "come on, I'll take you to bed."

******

Meanwhile in the bathroom, Kurt could not stop his tears. They were coming hot and fast down his cheeks, and no matter how he tried to breathe deeply and calm himself, it wouldn't stop. He had no idea what to do or think right now. 

He had been so lost. Everything else had disappeared, and all that filled his senses was Blaine. His smell, the feel of his hands and arms, his body heat, the way his eyes had stared at him so open and warm. The small smile Blaine had on his lips, that Kurt had been so close to kissing. 

What was happening to him? It felt like he had no control. He had promised Finn and Brooke that while the kids were around he would keep a clear head, and what did he do? He forgot about them completely. 

He sniffed as he rubbed the wetness from his face and looked in the mirror. He didn't recognize the person looking back at him for a second. His cheeks were hollow, there were dark circles underneath his eyes and his skin didn't have a healthy glow anymore. He was exhausted and it showed. 

Emotionally and mentally tired. He shook his head as the tears finally ebbed away. He needed to go back to the kids, he was supposed to be looking after them tonight and, after one little dance, he completely fell apart. He was not this kind of person. He was stronger than this. 

He just hadn't expected such a strong sweep of emotion to come from Blaine being so close. It was really confusing. 

He washed his face with cool water, making sure to dab at the puffy redness of his eyes thoroughly, cooling the swelling skin and trying to hide evidence of his breakdown. After he looked somewhat put together, he walked back to the living room and then stopped. 

Blaine and the kids weren't there. Blaine must have taken them to bed. Kurt let himself smile a little, he knew that Blaine knew why he went to the bathroom, so he probably took it upon himself to leviate the stress and take care of the kids. 

It was easier that way, Kurt wouldn't want them seeing him like this anyway. 

He sighed deeply and sat on the couch, waiting for Blaine to come back down. They really needed to talk.

Blaine came downstairs about 20 minutes later. After putting the kids to bed, Anna had started asking him for at least one short story, and she had pouted, knowing that Blaine was unable to resist that. 

Sitting on Jack's bed, he had to improvise a story about a prince who looked after his sister's kids and warned them that they had to go to sleep soon or an evil witch would eat them.

The two kids had laughed a lot, but when Blaine turned off the lights and left the room, both Anna and Jack were already half asleep. 

As soon as Blaine got to the living room, he found Kurt sat on the couch, looking at him. It didn't take a genius to realize that he had been crying. 

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked, his voice filled with concern. "The kids are already in bed, I thought..." Blaine looked down, suddenly embarrassed. "I'm so sorry."

Kurt bit his lip slightly and tried to find some excuse, or tell Blaine that he was okay, but he really wasn't. He got up, took a couple of steps forward and wrapped his arms around Blaine, hugging him close. He tightened his grip and sighed against him as he shook.

Blaine didn't know how Kurt was going to react, but the last thing he expected was for him to hug him. It was too much for Blaine. His body started shaking for some reason, and before he knew it, he was hugging Kurt back and burying his face in his neck. Now it was Blaine who started crying. 

Tears of frustration, sadness and fear spilled out of his eyes and began to wet Kurt's neck, but Blaine couldn't pull away. He couldn't let Kurt go.

Blaine needed to put everything out of his chest, and he could only do it in Kurt's arms. Kurt sighed again and rubbed soothing hands over Blaine's back as he cried. He knew Blaine was fighting this emotional battle just like him, and neither of them were doing too good. 

He kept his arms around Blaine as he spoke. 

"You don't have to be sorry…I'm sorry, Blaine." He said shakily, and placed his cheek against Blaine's hair, "I'm so sorry."

When Blaine felt his breathing return to its normal speed, he pulled away from Kurt a little, just enough so that he could wipe his face with his hands, embarrassed that he had fallen apart like that. 

"So we're both sorry, apparently." Blaine laughed despite the sadness in his voice.

Kurt laughed a little with him. 

"Yeah." He agreed, "and I think we both know we need to talk now."

"You're right." Blaine nodded and took a deep breath. "Should we...?" He pointed to the couch.

Kurt nodded as he walked towards the couch and sat down. He wasn't as nervous as earlier on this evening, but his back was tense.

Blaine sat next to him on the couch, but leaving a space between them, although what he wanted the most right now was to be as close to Kurt as possible. He turned his body slightly to face him.

"Do you want to start?" He asked.

"I guess I should." Kurt nodded as he fiddled with his hands nervously, "I'm sorry about what happened. About everything I got us mixed up in."

"When you say you're sorry, you mean... you regret it?" Blaine wasn't sure he would like the answer, but he needed to know.

"No." Kurt laughed, but it was anything but happy sounding, "I probably should regret it, but I don't. I just regret being drunk, and having a panic attack when I woke up, and leaving without talking to you."

The relief Blaine felt was so immense that he couldn't contain a laugh. 

"Okay. I'm so glad to hear that because I don't regret it at all either. I know that we acted without thinking and that what we did affects other people, but... it was amazing, Kurt. And I wish I hadn't found myself alone in bed when I woke up, but I understand."

"Yeah...I've been losing my mind for the last two weeks, thinking about what it means to me and how it will affect everyone around me." Kurt sighed, "I know it sounds selfish, but...I cheated on my boyfriend. I should feel incredibly bad about it and I do...but I don't feel as terrible about it as I should. And I don't understand why."

Blaine knew the answer. If Kurt didn't feel as guilty as he should, it was because the soulmate connection was stronger than anything else and didn't respond to social norms, but if Kurt was so confused it was because he probably hadn't felt it, or didn't remember it. 

He felt a pain in his chest, but he couldn't throw anything in Kurt's face.

"What are we going to do now?" Was what Blaine finally asked.

"I don't know..." Kurt looked at Blaine and then looked down at the floor, feeling ashamed for what he was going to say next, "I still haven't told Jamie about it. And we've been fighting a lot this week. I mean, he's my first boyfriend...I should try and make it work, but after last night, I-I don't know anymore."

"What happened last night, Kurt? And don't tell me it doesn't matter or that you're fine, because you're not, and neither am I. So please be honest."

Kurt's smile was sad and tired as he looked back at Blaine.

"We were having dinner when a certain someone texted me." He said, and seeing that Blaine was probably about to apologize, he cut him off, "it's okay, I actually liked your texts this week. But erm...he asked me who it was, and I told him it was a friend. He completely exploded and demanded I handed over my phone so that he could read the conversation. So I kicked him out, and told him to never come back."

"He did what?" Blaine grunted. 

He shook his head before staring at Kurt. 

"Look, you haven't asked my opinion but I'll give it to you anyway. This has nothing to do with me or us, but that guy is an asshole and he doesn't deserve you. The person who is with you should wake up every day giving thanks for having you by his side. No one can tell you what to do or who to do it with. I know he's your first boyfriend and you're afraid of what will happen if you break up, but if you don't love him and he doesn't make you happy... maybe you should let him go." He was angry at the start of his rant, but as he got through it, his tone turned softer. He didn't want to be the one nagging Kurt about his life, he just thought Kurt deserved more.

Kurt looked so fragile in front of him that Blaine couldn't help but close the distance between them a little, just enough so he could reach up and cup his cheek with his hand.

Kurt tried not to lean into the touch, but he was fighting a losing battle with his mind and his heart. 

"I'm just so confused… I don't know what to do anymore." He said a little quietly, trying not to cry again.

"Do you want me to leave? The last thing I want is to make things even more difficult to you." Blaine said, stroking Kurt's cheek very gently with his thumb.

"No." Kurt gave him a genuine smile this time, but pulled back a little, "I want you to stay. We need to be able to be in the same room, as adults. Even though we slept together, I want us to get along. I need to say..." He turned to grip Blaine's hand lightly, "that you are special to me, very special, but while I try and figure out what that means, maybe being friends is a good idea?"

"Friends, huh?"

Blaine's eyes dropped to their hands. Kurt was playing absently with his fingers and he felt sparks of electricity running down his back.

"Kurt, if that's what you want... but do you really think we can do it? I mean, between us... there's..."

An everlasting bond, an indestructible connection... those were too strong words for Kurt; he wasn't ready, Blaine thought.

"There's something between us, Kurt. Maybe I'm crazy and it's all in my head, but a while ago, when we were dancing, we almost... shit, I have to restrain myself from kissing you right now. If it only happens to me, then..."

Kurt laughed lightly. 

"You're not alone in that, but I think being friends is all I can offer right now. I need to sort out what all this…" He pointed to them both, and their hands, "means. And then I have to go deal with Jamie. So do you think you could wait a little longer?"

There was hope in his voice, but he knew he had already hurt Blaine and he didn't want to hurt him anymore. Blaine was right, it would be hard being friends, but he needed time.

Blaine sighed and tried to take the pain in his chest and put it somewhere else, where it would allow him to go through with this. Having Kurt as a friend was better than not having him at all.

"Yes, of course I can wait. Take all the time you need."

Kurt sighed and placed his head in his free hand. 

"And now I'm doing exactly what I promised your sister I wouldn't."

"What do you mean?"

"I said I wouldn't hurt you anymore." Kurt told him, "and don't lie to me either, I can see it." He looked Blaine in the eye with a hard stare.

Blaine closed his eyes for a moment and knew that if he wanted Kurt and him to get together eventually, he had to be honest with him.

"I'm hurt. I'm hurt since you left my place without saying 'goodbye' as if what was... special for me, for you was a cause of shame. I'm hurt because the other day, when you came to talk to Finn, you couldn't even look at my face. I'm hurt because you called and now I have your number, and I'd call you every single day. I'm hurt because a while ago we almost kissed, and your reaction was to run away. And I'm hurt that you just want to be my friend."

Blaine said it all, and immediately felt as a huge weight disappeared from his shoulders. He smiled weakly before looking back at Kurt.

"That said, I don't blame you for anything. Our circumstances are different and each one of us has a way to take what happens to us. I went to Virginia because I suddenly couldn't stand this city, and I know it was a cowardly act. We're not perfect, Kurt. I'm serious, take all the time you need."

Kurt took in a shaky breath and focused on his breathing for a second. 

"Thank you. For telling me." He finally got out, "our circumstances are different, yes, and I'm sorry I keep running away and not dealing with this like I need to. But I promise, I will use the time now to sort things out in my head. I won't run anymore."

Kurt took another deep breath before putting on a smile. 

"So, last weekend...you went to Virginia?"

"Yes, I did. When I got out of here I was feeling so lost and I needed, I don't know... to go home and see some old friends."

Kurt nodded in understanding.

"You said they were old college buddies of yours?"

"Yes, they are. Nate and Dylan. We went through a lot of things together."

Blaine smirked, but when he looked at Kurt, he saw something in his gaze.

"What's wrong?"

"Irrational jealousy." Kurt said honestly, "and I can't help it. I'm sorry."

"Are you jealous?"

Blaine laughed until he realized that Kurt was still staring at him and he didn't seem to be amused.

"Sorry." Blaine wiped the laughing tears from his eyes. "Kurt, nothing happened, I promise. Nate is my best friend and Dylan is his boyfriend, his soulmate. I don't... I know I have a reputation for sleeping with a different guy every night, but after what happened between us, I would never... well, not that I owe you loyalty, but... the last thing I'm thinking about right now is having sex with someone else."

Kurt nodded his head, but somehow it didn't make him feel any better and he had no idea why. Their situation was just so messy that he didn't know what to do. His mind was filled with all kinds of things and he had trouble thinking straight. 

"You don't owe me anything, I'm sorry. Everything is so messed up right now."

Kurt tried to remove his hand, but Blaine didn't let him. He didn't want to lose the only physical contact they could have.

"I shouldn't have said that, I apologize. It's not that I don't owe you anything, it's just that... I don't know if you and Jamie, uhm..."

"No, I haven't been with Jamie since that night either." Kurt said quickly, looking back up at him.

"Really?" Blaine couldn't help the little smirk that appeared on his lips.

"Don't look so smug, asshole." Kurt said with his own smirk, and nudged him with his elbow.

Blaine laughed again.

"It's a relief, I'm not gonna lie."

"Well, I'm glad my failing relationship can bring you some relief." Kurt said, and then laughed as he shook his head, "I just wish I could get some relief out of it too."

"Hey, you know I didn't mean that. I hate that you're going through this, and I'd love to be able to make it easier for you."

"You do make it easier. You know, I used to dread Mondays...and when I got your texts, they really brightened my day."

Blaine grinned from ear to ear and looked down for a second, suddenly shy.

"Wow, I... I didn't know if it was a good idea to text you, but Saturday seemed so far away and I couldn't resist."

"It's okay. It was a welcome relief from my Monday blues."

"Why don't you like Mondays? I mean, I don't think anyone likes them, but yours seems like something else."

"Something else indeed." Kurt chuckled, "I don't know if Finn or Brooke told you about me, when I was younger."

"Brooke has mentioned more than once that you didn't have it easy when you were younger, but she never gave me details."

"Understatement, my life in high school was sort of hell on earth. I was bullied pretty badly before Finn and my father got involved. When Monday came around and it was time to go back to hell, I always got this irrational fear and it has stuck with me ever since."

"Oh, god, Kurt, I'm so sorry." Blaine said honestly. "I can't even imagine what you had to go through."

"It was a long time ago now, and I know that they can't hurt me anymore, but when Monday comes around...the feeling of fear and anxiety still overwhelms me sometimes. I don't think that feeling will ever go away."

"Well, then I'll text you every Monday. I intend to make it our thing. I'll text to tell you about the new way that my boss has found to torture me, or that I've seen a very cute dog on the street, or that it seems that it's going to rain and I left my umbrella at home. Anything, as long as I make Mondays a little less horrible for you."

Kurt stared at Blaine with amazement. How is it that somebody he hardly knew could make him feel like he was finally doing something right? That someone who was supposed to be a one night stand could make him feel so much?

He smiled and his eyes started watering again, and beyond his better judgement, he used his sleeve to wipe at them. Was it pathetic to do so much crying in one night?

"Did I say something wrong?" Blaine asked, looking worried at Kurt. "Please, Kurt, don't cry. It breaks my heart."

Kurt started giggling, and he couldn't stop. He tried to contain it, but it just burst out from his chest. The giggles turned into a chuckle, which turned into a full on laugh, and it was so loud that Kurt had to stifle it with his hands.

Blaine's shocked and confused face made him laugh even more.

"I'm sorry." Kurt said as his laugh died down, and still giggling, he shook his head as the tears were still falling, "I feel very emotional right now. And very grateful."

He sighed as his giggles melted away. 

"When I told Jamie about being bullied, do you know what he said?"

"Surprise me." Blaine smirked, feeling better having seen Kurt laugh like that.

"That maybe I should have tried harder to blend in with everyone else...and I couldn't believe that. I know he pretends to care about me, and maybe in his own head he probably does. But why would you tell someone to be like everyone else, like it was my fault that they targeted me? Maybe that should have been a sign for me."

Blaine gaped at Kurt as he felt rage run through him. If he had Jamie in front of him right now, he would probably punch him.

"I swear that guy... what's wrong with him? He's a douchebag, what did you see in him in the first place?"

Kurt shook his head, sniffing now that his eyes weren't wet anymore. 

"I saw...somebody who liked me, someone I could have and not feel lonely. I saw a life not spent living alone." He said completely truthful, because he had to be honest with Blaine, "but the longer I was with him, the more I think I was pretending that it was what I wanted, and I wouldn't let myself believe otherwise..." He looked up and caught Blaine's gaze, "until you came along."

Blaine's heart skipped a beat as he looked at Kurt and took in what he had just said. Kurt was being completely honest and he really felt something for him, and Blaine knew then that he would be able to do anything for him, including waiting for him as long as he needed.

"I'm sure life has something much better in store for you than him, Kurt."

Blaine intertwined his fingers with Kurt's, hoping that gesture was enough for Kurt to understand that he expected to be that something.

Kurt looked down at their hands, and gripped Blaine's fingers, trying to convey how much he meant to him. But they had to keep their heads clear here, Kurt knew that. 

He also knew how hard it was not to get lost in Blaine's eyes, that were soft and were looking at him with so much feeling.

"I hope so." Kurt replied with a little tilt of a smile, "because fate has been a bitch to me for so long. I need something good in my life."

"I know you'll get there, I'm sure of it. You just have to overcome fear and take a leap of faith, and I'm sure you will."

It was very difficult for Blaine not to lean in at that moment and put his lips on Kurt's, but he was going to respect what Kurt had asked. He couldn't ruin what was starting to happen between them.

Kurt leaned in to peck a kiss on Blaine's cheek, because he knew how difficult all of this was. As he pulled back, he gave him a smile.

"I know how hard it is, to be patient, but I appreciate it." He told him, with a serious but soft look, "I also know how difficult me being with someone else is for you, so on Monday, after work, I'm going to tell Jamie that it's over."

Blaine's jaw dropped as he felt his heart race once more.

"Kurt, I... I'm not going to say that it's easy to know that you're with someone else, but I don't want you to make any decisions for me. What you do has to come from you, from what you think is best for you."

"It's not about you, I promise." Kurt said with conviction in his voice, "it's about me. I need to do this for me. It's been a long time coming, but this is the right thing to do. I need some me time to figure stuff out."

"Okay. If you're sure, then I'm going to spend the rest of the night pretending that I don't feel like screaming with happiness because I can't wait for you to get that asshole out of your life." Blaine smirked, not caring to say exactly how he felt. He wasn't going to hide anything from Kurt. "Now, are you hungry? Because I'm starving and I think I still owe you dinner."

"I think my winnings included you paying for some extravagant take away." Kurt laughed along with him, "and if you stay for the night, I'm making some really nice pancakes tomorrow."

"You can order whatever you want, sir, a promise is a promise." Blaine laughed. "And if you're okay with that, I'll stay. For the pancakes, of course."

"Of course." Kurt smiled and rolled his eyes as he picked up his phone and set about ordering them some nice food for dinner.

******

Brooke hadn't expected much from date night, but as she gazed up at the massive building they stood in front of, she was surprised and felt so loved it was unreal. 

Finn hadn't told her where they would be having dinner, he had left it as a surprise. And after parking their car outside the hotel where they would be staying tonight, they got a taxi to wherever Finn was taking them.

"So I thought we could have dinner here, and then I bought tickets to the observation deck upstairs." Finn explained as he watched his wife's face light up, "we could look out over New York. See all the lights."

"Oh, my goodness, Finn, this is perfect!" Brooke leaned against Finn's chest to give him a quick kiss on the lips. "You didn't have to go to so much trouble."

"It was no trouble for you." Finn said with a grin, before pulling open the door, "after you." 

He gestured with his arm and smiled at her a little smugly.

"Thank you." Brooke smirked flirtatiously, batting her lashes as she walked into the restaurant.

Finn took her hand in his as they walked up to the hostess at the little greeting counter. She smiled after he told her about reservations and then showed them to their table. 

It was a quiet little booth in the corner, and Finn thanked her as he and his wife took a seat. She left them with a drinks menu and a food menu, and then told them she would be back in a few minutes.

"I have no words, honey, really." Brooke reached across the table for Finn to take her hand. "I feel like it's been years without the two of us having such a night."

"Me too. I think we should probably make it a regular thing." Finn said as he moved to hold both of her hands, and spread his fingers out along her wrists, "we should work better on our connection as a couple. I know, I know it's difficult with the kids, and I love them more than my life, but our bond is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I don't want to neglect it again, much less argue like that with you."

Finn gave her another big smile, looking deep into her eyes as he poured his feelings out. 

"You and the kids mean the world to me. I would have nothing if I didn't have you. You're my soulmate, my one true love...the reason my heart beats so fast, it makes my chest ache." He explained as he moved his fingers around her wrists, and then stroking his thumbs slowly over the bones of her hands, "I will never ever want to be anywhere else, but right beside you. We may hurt each other, but our love and our bond outweighs all of that."

Brooke sighed with a happy smile at Finn's touch. 

"You know I have a lot of temper and sometimes I get angry about any silliness, but I hope you know that I love you so much every second of every day. It all made sense the day I met you, and you have helped me become the best version of myself."

Finn nodded. 

"I know. You know your passion is one of the reasons I fell for you at the start. I love that you are so protective and fiery. You're also loving and caring...the best mother and wife in the world."

Brooke felt the tears stinging in her eyes but managed to hold them back. 

"Finn, you're going to make me blush. You get me nervous and my stomach clenches just sitting here with you and feeling your hands on mine. It wouldn't change a thing about our life together."

"You make me feel the same way." Finn lowered his voice, "tonight is about me and you. Not mom and dad, just husband and wife. Finn and Brooke." 

He stared at her for a few more seconds, until they were interrupted by the waitress that asked if they were ready to order.

"We haven't even looked at the menu yet, sorry. Could you give us a few more minutes?" Brooke apologized to the waitress, who smiled at them and promised to be back in a bit. 

Brooke looked back at her husband with a smile. 

"Now stop distracting me with your pretty words, Hudson, and help me choose dinner."

"I can distract you all I like with my words." Finn laughed as he passed the menu over to her first, "you don't realize how much you distract me with that body."

He tried to look nonchalant by looking at the drinks menu but he kept a smirk on his face.

Brooke bit her lower lip and shook her head, already feeling the first signs of arousal run through her body. 

"You're the worst". 

She took her eyes off her husband and tried to focus on the menu. She settled on a seafood salad before returning the menu to Finn.

"You're right. I'm the worst, and you're the best." He said as he chose the steak and motioned the waitress back over to give them the order, "oh, and a bottle of red wine. It's my wife's favorite."

Brooke looked at him with as much love and pride as she could, and even a hint of naughtiness.

Finn looked back at her, noticing that devilish little glint in her eyes and his eyes turned darker as they stared at her. His gaze moved down though and settled somewhere just below her neck line, before looking back up in her eyes. 

He mouthed the word 'gorgeous' at her, and smiled lovingly.

Brooke picked up the menu again and began to cool herself with it. 

"I'm very hungry, aren't you?" Brooke asked, staring openly at Finn's mouth.

"Very." 

He kept his eyes on her face as he said it, noticing the little red colour appearing on her cheeks, and feeling victory in that. 

The waitress came back over after another few minutes, bringing an ice bucket with the red wine bottle inside and poured them a glass each before walking away again.

"Shall we make a toast?" Brooke asked, picking up her glass.

"Of course." Finn said as he brought his glass up as well, "to...a life full of love?"

"As long as it's by your side."

Finn chuckled happily as he clinked his glass against hers. 

"Always." 

Shortly after they toasted and began acting silly with each other, the waitress came over with their food. And Finn thanked her as she walked away, before looking back to his wife. 

"Bon appetite, my love."

"Likewise, sweetheart." 

Dinner was practically perfect. The food was delicious, and Finn and Brooke had a nice light chat as they exchanged glances and smiles all the time. 

After paying the bill, Brooke let Finn lead her hand by hand to their next stop.

Finn kept throwing his wife flirty little glances as they were in the elevator, he didn't want to make it obvious because there were other people in there too. But he really couldn't wait to stand up there with her, and watch the city lights illuminate her face. 

"I love you." He said in a whisper as he pulled her closer and placed an arm around her waist.

Brooke's chest filled with love as if it were the first time he said it. But she couldn't help it, that night was being magical and she felt like she was floating on a cloud. 

"I love you too." Brooke replied, enjoying his closeness.

Once the elevator stopped, Finn let out all the other people first before taking his wife's hand and placing the other one over her eyes. 

"Do you trust me?" He asked as he guided her out of the elevator.

"Of course I trust you." She answered without hesitation, letting Finn guide her.

Finn pulled her along, passing other people along the way who were looking out over the whole city. 

"There is a maintenance guy who I've become quite good friends with, over the last 4 years." He explained as he guided her carefully through the people around them, "and a few years ago, he told me about the places he had worked in before. I helped him out with his wife when they were going through some tough times." 

He stopped her and placed both of her hands gently on the railing in front of her, still covering her eyes as he stood behind her. 

"There is a building in repair, just a little ways away from here, with a big advertising board over the front. I asked him for a favor." He said into her ear as he removed his hand from her eyes. 

There, in front of them, about a mile away, but easy to see from here, was a building that had scaffolding around it, and a big sign on the front. On the sign surrounded by lights were the words, 'I love you, Brooke'.

When Finn removed his hand, it took Brooke a couple of seconds to focus and then she saw it. Her eyes went wide and her hands moved to cover her mouth, stifling a gasp of surprise that escaped her lips. 

She couldn't say anything, couldn't move. Her eyes were stuck on the sign and she could no longer hold back the tears that began to roll down her cheeks. 

"I... I..." She tried to say something else, but it was useless.

"You know, if I could, I would ask you to marry me all over again." Finn whispered against her ear, as he wrapped his arms around her, "you don't know how much I appreciate you, and that's my fault for not telling you how lucky I am that you're my wife. Every day."

"And I would always say yes." Brooke laid her head on Finn's chest as she clung tightly to the firm arms around her. "When I thought I couldn't love you more, you go and do this."

"Do you want to know what I thought, the first time you yelled at me when we were dating?" He asked as he pressed a small kiss to the side of her neck.

"That I was crazy and you should run away?" Brooke laughed.

Finn's laugh came out soft and he snuggled her against him. 

"No." He replied quietly, "I thought 'I'm gonna marry this girl'. And you know why?"

"Why?" She whispered.

"Because if you were that fierce and stubborn at telling me when I was doing something wrong, how fierce and stubborn would you be at loving me. And I wanted that, I wanted all of it." Finn pressed one more kiss against her head gently, before moving around and standing next to her, "I would never run away, I won't. Because we belong together. You can yell, you can scream obscenities, you could throw things at me and I would still be here. Where I want to be."

Brooke didn't think she could put into words how much she felt for the man next to her. Finn was everything to her and she couldn't imagine her life without him. She moved right in front of him, standing on tiptoe as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him up to her to kiss him. 

She just needed to show him how much she loved him. She pressed her lips against his, slowly at first, but after a few seconds she pushed harder, gently brushing his lower lip with her tongue, and as soon as Finn understood the gesture and parted his lips, Brooke pushed her tongue inside his mouth, wanting to taste every part of him, completely blinded by love.

Finn wrapped one arm around her waist to keep her against him, as one hand travelled lightly through her hair before cupping the back of her neck gently. After a few seconds of her having control of the kiss, Finn forced her tongue back into hers and followed after it with his own. 

It was warm and passionate and full of love, he could feel it in his chest, and feel it in his wife's shaking arms around his neck. He felt himself getting a little warm, and he didn't want to be caught in an uncomfortable situation so with a lot of control on his part, he slowed the kiss and separated from her. 

He watched her face for a second, and brought the hand from the back of her neck to cup her face gently, running his thumb along her cheek bone.

"I knew it." He said softly.

"What did you know?" Brooke asked, trying to catch her breath after the kiss.

"New York City lights are great." Finn said as he glanced around at the scenery before looking back at Brooke, "but they are nothing compared to the lights shining off of your beautiful face."

"You are the most beautiful thing in my life, and I'll never forget about tonight. Thank you."

Finn smiled at her in a loving way. After a few seconds, he tugged on her hand and whispered in her ear, "The night is not over yet, my love."

"No? And what's next?" Brooke smirked and reached up to stroke Finn's face.

"How about we head back to the hotel, and I show my wife how much I adore her?" He said in a low voice, eyes dark as he raked his gaze over her from head to toe.

"Then I'll show my husband how much I adore him too." Brooke sighed, feeling the heat all over her body. "I need you now."

"Come on, let's go." Finn took her hand and they both laughed like giddy teenagers as they walked across the observation deck and back to the elevator.

******

It wasn't too different when they got to the hotel. It was a really fancy hotel, but in a modern way. It was very bright and there was black and white furniture wherever you looked. 

In other circumstances, Brooke would have made some 'oh, we should buy something like that for home' comment but right now she was pretty busy trying to keep Finn's hands out of the areas where they shouldn't be in public. 

They kept up appearances as they crossed the hall and greeted the receptionist, but as soon as they got on the elevator and Finn saw that it was empty, he smirked before gently pushing Brooke against one of the walls and starting to kiss her. 

His big hands went down her ass to stick her closer to him, while she tangled her fingers in his hair and tried not to moan as he devoured her mouth. Entangled as they were, they reached their room.

Finn took the key card out of his back pocket with one hand, while the other hand still pressed his wife up against him. He manuevered the door open and then picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"Finn, put me down!" Brooke burst out laughing, giving him affectionate blows on his back.

He laughed loudly and pat her butt softly a few times before lowering her body down so that he still held her feet off the floor, but so he could make eye contact.

"Sorry, baby, I'm just an animal." He said as he attacked her mouth again, moaning against her.

Brooke didn't complain this time. She moaned against Finn's mouth, not caring that any of their kids might hear them. Tonight was just for them. 

Brooke wasted no time, and her hands began to quickly unbutton Finn's shirt.

As she picked out the buttons quickly, his hands went down her hips, to her thighs and grabbing the dress at the bottom, began rising it up slowly. Making sure to run fingers over warm skin that he revealed along the way. 

First her thighs, then her hips, her sides, over her ribs. He stopped and had to disconnect the kiss to take off the top part.

"Raised your arms, baby."

Brooke did as he asked, and when she was only in her underwear she began to slowly back up to the bed, lying on top of it as soon as she reached it and gesturing with her finger at Finn to join her with a mischievous smile. 

"Come here, honey. This bed is too big for me."

Finn gave her a grin as he removed his shirt, pulling it roughly off of his arms and then moving onto his trousers, pushing them down and removing his shoes and socks. 

He began at the foot of the bed, where Brooke still had her shoes on. He started kissing her ankles slowly as he gently pried them off of her feet, and then trailed kisses up her shins and then to her thighs.

"Oh, Finn." She sighed and propped herself up on the bed with her elbows to keep looking at her husband.

He raised his eyes at her as he continued laving kisses over both of her thighs, moving across one and then the other, kisses becoming harder and harder until he was licking and nipping at them. 

"Baby, you're so beautiful..." He groaned against the skin under his mouth as he closed his eyes again and went back to it.

"Oh, honey, I love you so much". Brooke reached out with one of her hands to lightly tug on Finn's hair as she writhed under his mouth.

He smiled against her as he gently pushed her thighs apart, mouthing his way down the insides lightly. One side and then the other, softly and as gently as he could. 

As he came to the line of her underwear, he gripped her thighs from underneath in his hands as he ran his tongue along the crease of her thigh, right along the edge of her underwear.

Brooke could only moan and try not to undo under Finn's ministrations. 

It had been a while since the last time they were together and Brooke could feel Finn's mouth on every pore of her skin, the heat running through her.

Finn felt her body shake under him and he moved his mouth away from that heated centre of her body and moved up, gripping her hips and kissing lines across her stomach. 

He stopped at the top when he came in contact with her bra, and with very nimble figures, reached around underneath her and unclasped the back. 

He slowly took the bra off of the front of her body and lowered his mouth in between, kissing and sucking small marks over where her heart was beating fast.

"Honey, please..." Brooke brought one of her hands back to Finn's hair, pulling a little harder this time, while the other began to move down Finn's back, nails slightly digging over his skin, something she knew would drive Finn crazy.

He groaned as he arched against her, pushing his tented underwear between her thighs to rub at her. 

"God...you really know how to get me going." He took her lips within his again, pushing his tongue into her mouth as one hand moved between them, slipped underneath her underwear, and he pushed two fingers inside of her quickly.

Brooke gave a cry of pleasure as she thrust her hips against Finn's fingers. She slid her hands down his back to his underwear and under the fabric to dig her nails into Finn's ass cheeks and push him against her.

Finn moaned as he nuzzled his face into her neck, gripping the skin lightly between his teeth as he thrust his fingers inside her gently at first and then harder and faster the more she cried out. 

His mind was going a little blank as she clawed at him, trying to get more of him on top of her. She never let go like this at home, something to do with having innocent young minds around. 

Once, twice more he pushed his fingers and then pulled them free, slipping his underwear down from his legs, kicking them off before moving down her body. 

As she writhed and arched underneath him he pulled her underwear down gently, exposing her to the air of the room. 

"I love you, gorgeous." He whispered to her.

"I love you too, honey. Only you, forever." 

Brooke lifted her hips again and rubbed her skin against Finn, making it clear what she needed. 

"Now, Finn, please."

"I'm here, baby, I'm right here." He said as he smiled down at her, eyes darkened a little and pulled her head up to kiss her deeply as he moved between her open legs.

She moaned and writhed against him as he rubbed his cock against her lightly. On one particularly loud groan he pushed into her, fighting back stars in his vision as his whole body lit up with warmth.

Brooke screamed as her entire body twisted with pleasure. She'd never get tired of the feeling of having Finn inside her, it was as if they were only one body. 

When Finn pulled away and pushed inside her again, a bit harder and deeper this time, Brooke moved with him, making everything more intense.

He couldn't hold back, he never could with her. Her heart and soul had been entwined with his since they met and being together like this made everything focus sharper and feel hotter. Like a volcano erupting underneath his skin. 

He thrusted harder but he moved his hands underneath her back gently, holding her body against him as they moved. 

With her it had always been incredible.

"Yes, love, don't stop. I'm so close, honey." Brooke's moans were getting higher and higher as her body moved under Finn's, enjoying their connection and how every fiber of her body seemed to belong to him. 

Heat began to build in the lower part of her stomach, threatening to make her explode with pleasure at any moment.

"Ugh...Brooke...never stop...never." He groaned out between grunts as he moved her hips up, trying to find that right spot inside of her so that she could finally let go, "come for me, baby...god, you're so tight..." 

He lowered his lips to hers one more time as the heat in his own stomach pooled and coiled like a snake ready to strike, he was close too. But he needed his wife, his love, his soulmate to come first.

Finn's words were the spark Brooke needed. Screaming the name of her soulmate, her entire body tensed and a brutal orgasm shook her from head to toe.

Finn groaned as her muscles tightened around him and after 3 more pushes he was gone too. Coming inside her as white spots flashed in front of his eyes. 

He was breathing fast, his forehead sweating as he leaned into her, kissing little lines along his neck and whispering 'I love you, I love you' until his breathing returned to normal.

"I love you too." She sighed. 

Brooke pulled Finn from her neck a little to meet his lips and merge into a kiss that conveyed all the love they felt for each other. 

They stayed like this, Finn lying on top of Brooke until they both needed to change positions. Finn pulled out of her and lay on his back, and a second later Brooke was curled up on him, her head on his chest and a happy, satisfied smile on her face.

More kisses and caresses were lavished until they both fell asleep after what had been one of the best nights of their lives.

******

Kurt ordered a huge quantity of Chinese food. There were spring rolls, chicken curry and different kinds of rice and noodles. Kurt looked at him innocently and Blaine could only smile and pay the bill to the delivery man. When there was nothing left, Blaine had to admit that it was all delicious.

As they had dinner, they were joking and laughing until Kurt remembered Blaine's job search. Blaine told him it wasn't necessary but Kurt insisted, and a couple of hours later they had sent Blaine's resume to almost 30 different job offers. They weren't all equally good, but Kurt told him that he could always turn them down.

When Blaine refused to keep thinking about work, Kurt suggested that they could watch a movie and Blaine agreed. It was late, but though they didn't say it clearly, neither of them wanted that night to end. They were having a really good time together and couldn't wipe the smile off their faces.

Kurt got up to put on a dvd. He chose 'The Greatest Showman' and when he sat back on the couch, he put himself a little closer to Blaine than he was before. Kurt did it without thinking and if Blaine noticed, he didn't say a word.

However, as the minutes went by, each time one of them repositioned slightly on the couch, they moved a little towards the center, closer to the other.

At this point, they were both perfectly aware of the situation, despite not taking their eyes off the screen. Blaine thought he had nothing to lose and put his hand in the small space between them. It was Kurt's decision, he could ignore it and Blaine would just remove it as if nothing had happened.

But Kurt needed that contact too. That's why he subtly caressed Blaine's hand with his own before taking it, and in a fit of bravery, he placed their interlaced hands on his lap, and completely closing the distance between them, he leaned over Blaine and placed his head on his shoulder.

Blaine glanced at Kurt and bit his lower lip to hold back a sigh.

They didn't need more that night. Well, maybe they did, but they didn't want to rush things and get carried away with what their bodies were asking for. A week ago, they couldn't meet each other's gaze, and now, having been honest about their feelings, they could watch a movie together holding hands, one leaning over the other. It was progress.

By the time the movie ended, the two of them had fallen asleep in that position.


	9. Chapter 9

Blaine felt warm, and comfortable. His mind was floating like he was inbetween dream and reality, and he liked this state of being half awake. 

Moments from the night before flooded through his mind, and he could feel a small smile tugging at his lips, but reality hit him with a crash soon after. 

"Oomph!" He groaned out loud as something fell onto his chest. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking away the sleep, and he saw a sweet little face looking down at him. "Anna?" 

"Uncle Blaine, finally!" She said a little over dramatically, and bounced a bit where she was sitting on his stomach, making him groan again a little in pain, "I was wondering when you would wake up! Why are you cuddling Uncle Kurt? Did you have a bad dream?"

Blaine shot up and she slid down into his lap.

"What the...?" Kurt opened his eyes then, rubbing his face with his hand and trying to remember where he was. 

Blaine was next to him, one of his legs between his, and he was looking at him embarrassed and a bit amused while their niece was glancing at him from Blaine's lap. 

"Anna! Erm... where is Jack?"

"Over there." Anna pointed at the chair where Jack was, just sipping on a juice box and looking at them all with sleepy eyes. "I helped him get here". 

Blaine huffed out a small laugh and disentangled his legs from Kurt's as he sat up properly. 

"Sorry...about that." He said as his face heated with a slight blush.

"It's okay." Kurt replied trying to hold back a smile, though the blush on his cheeks betrayed him. 

But his nephew and niece were there, so he had to pretend. 

"This isn't the way to wake anyone up, miss." Kurt sat up on the couch and started tickling the little girl. "Uncle Blaine and I fell asleep last night and you nearly scared us to death."

Anna was laughing loudly as she squirmed on Blaine's lap, and Blaine's face looked a little pained before moving her onto Kurt's and standing. 

"Now I have to pee." He said as he walked away quickly. 

Anna giggled at that before she turned to Kurt. 

"Can we have pancakes now?"

Kurt watched Blaine rush out of the room before turning back to his niece. 

"Yes, you can. Come on, go to the kitchen. I'll get Jack." 

He smiled at the excitement on Anna's face before she took off running, and Kurt finally got up from the couch. He stretched his arms over his head and went over to pick up his nephew. 

"Are you hungry too?" Kurt placed the kid on his hip and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. 

"Hungy." Jack answered, and Kurt went to the kitchen, laughing and looking fondly at the kid.

Blaine returned from the bathroom and wandered into the kitchen, tickling Anna underneath the chin as he walked past her and then ruffling Jack's hair as he moved to the counter next to Kurt, who was busy getting ingredients ready for making pancakes, and Blaine smiled before turning the coffee machine on. 

"You want a cup?" He asked.

"Yes, please, I need it." 

Kurt smiled back at him before starting to mix the ingredients in a bowl. 

"Everything okay? You left the living room like there was a fire."

Blaine leaned in to whisper. 

"I really did need to pee." He barely contained a laugh, "there was a very excitable young monster moving around on my stomach."

"It was my fault." Kurt laughed. "But she deserved the tickling, I was sound asleep. I hadn't slept that well in a long time, but my back will probably start complaining at any moment."

"Hah! And you called me old." Blaine laughed as he gently nudged Kurt in the side, careful not to jog him around the hot stuff, "I haven't had a great sleep like that for years."

"Shut up." Kurt joked before setting a pan on the stove. "I have to confess something, by the way."

"Oh, yeah? Confession time already?" Blaine said a little sarcastically, looking up at the clock, "and we've only been friends for...just over 14 hours."

"You know what? I changed my mind, I won't say anything." Kurt tossed a small amount of the mixture into the pan and glared at Blaine.

Blaine laughed a little and then patted Kurt's shoulder.

"Oh, come on, it was a joke. Sorry."

"I know. But now I'm going to leave you wondering." 

Kurt scooped up some of the pancake mix with his finger and purposely smeared Blaine's hand. 

"Oops, sorry, I've stained you."

Blaine looked down at his hand and then smirked up at Kurt's face, watching Kurt's eyes widen as he realized the mistake he just made. 

"So you wanna play, don't you?" Blaine asked as he put two of his fingers in the batter.

"No, no, please, I'm sorry." Kurt laughed, and quickly pulled the first pancake out of the pan before pouring more batter into it. "I'm cooking, don't make me burn anything. Brooke would kill you."

"Well, then you just carry on cooking." Blaine said with an evil smirk as he wiped his fingers over the back of Kurt's neck.

"Blaine, no!" 

Kurt went to get a cloth to wipe his neck, without breaking eye contact with Blaine. Then he opened the fridge and took out the chocolate syrup. 

"Alright, this is war." He said, approaching Blaine as he opened the bottle.

Blaine reached up into the cupboard above his head quickly and grabbed the honey in his hand, smirking back at him as he flicked the cap open. 

"Bring it on!"

"Get him, Uncle Kurt!" Anna shouted while laughing at them being silly, and Blaine looked a little offended as he looked back at her. 

"That hurt, princess." He said with a mock pout on his face.

Kurt was careful enough to remove the new pancake from the pan and turn off the heat before standing right in front of Blaine. He took advantage of Anna's distraction to pour the syrup onto three of his fingers without Blaine noticing. 

"You think you're very handsome, right?" He teased him. "But your face is missing something. This." 

Before Blaine could react, Kurt slid his fingers from Blaine's forehead to his mouth, smearing everything in his path.

Blaine glared at Kurt when he pulled away, feeling the sticky chocolate on his face dripping down his nose, and he laughed a little. 

"Oh, Kurt, you're in trouble now." He said as he pressed on the small bottle of honey in his hand, a string of the sticky stuff flying out and hitting Kurt's shirt, right over his chest.

"Not my clothes, Blaine!" Kurt tried to sound angry, but even though he suffered thinking about the future of his shirt, he couldn't stop laughing. 

Then he pointed the bottle of syrup toward Blaine's pants, and when Blaine turned around to avoid it, Kurt smeared chocolate all over his ass. 

"Guys, Uncle Blaine pooped. Disgusting!"

Blaine laughed out loud and turned quickly to catch Kurt around the middle of his stomach before he could escape, and placed the nozzle of the honey bottle underneath his shirt collar, so that he squirted it down and onto Kurt's back.

Kurt screamed at the sensation of honey running all over his back. 

"You're a dead man." He said. 

Kurt broke away from him and went looking for backup. He put Anna and Jack on their feet, and held the bowl full of pancake batter for them so they could stick their little hands in it. 

"Get Uncle Blaine, guys!"

"Turning my niece and nephew against me!" Blaine yelled dramatically, making the kids laugh, "you're fighting dirty, Hummel!" 

The kids ran towards Blaine with their sticky messy hands out, and Blaine faked a scream as he ran around the table.

Kurt leaned on the counter and watched them with a huge smile on his face. There was something special about seeing Blaine with the kids... the way he treated them, the pure love they felt for their uncle and how happy they were together. He had dreamed of seeing Jamie trying to get close to the kids many times, and it had never happened. But Blaine... he simply adored them.

Jack placed both his messy hands on the back of Blaine's leg, and Blaine stumbled like he had been shot and yelled. 

"Ah, the little monster got me!" He shouted as Jack continued to plaster Blaine's jeans in pancake batter as he was giggling. 

Anna was standing next to Blaine, and he reached out for her with a face full of fake and over dramatic pain. 

"Anna, my beautiful princess, you'll save me, right?" He asked as his eyebrows went up in fake hope, but Anna just rubbed her hands over Blaine's face and neck, mixing the chocolate syrup that was already there with the batter and spreading it around. 

Blaine writhed around as he fell to the floor, with both of the kids placing hands around the rest of him, properly covering him in sticky messy pancake batter. He gasped one last time, and then slumped and closed his eyes.

Kurt sighed and walked over to them. 

"It's clear that I'm gonna have to be the one to save you, Anderson. Come here, bugs. I'm very proud of you." 

Kurt grabbed Anna first, who was holding onto Blaine tightly. 

"My warrior princess." Kurt kissed Anna's head as he sat her down on the table and returned to get Jack, repeating the same thing he had done with his sister. 

Finally, he went to find Blaine, who was still pretending to be dead on the ground. 

"Do you want me to help you get up, or do I call a forensic?"

Blaine opened one eye with a smile. 

"I was hoping for a kiss of life." He said as he crossed his hands over his chest.

"You're not Snow White, you'll have to settle for this." Kurt smirked at him, holding out a hand.

Blaine chuckled as he took Kurt's hand and let him pull him up from the floor, but he slipped a bit in some pancake batter underneath his socked feet and collided with Kurt's chest.

Kurt let out a small moan at the touch of Blaine against his body. The jokes were over, and now it was just them and their undeniable chemistry again. Kurt put some distance between them. 

"I think I'm going to go clean myself up a little." He said. "Blaine, why don't you look for cookies or cereal for breakfast? I think the pancakes didn't go well, the batter is useless now. I'll be right back." 

Sticking his tongue out at his nephew and niece as he passed them, Kurt headed for the bathroom.

Blaine froze for a moment before shaking off the bad feelings of Kurt walking away from him again, and turned to give the kids a big smile as he handed them both the two already done pancakes that were waiting, and watched them eat with a smile. 

"Uncle Bane look funny!" Jack laughed as he pointed at Blaine's face, which was still covered in batter and chocolate, and Blaine chuckled. 

"Well, two little monsters were the culprits. I'll get you back one day." He warned with a playful growl, and they both giggled again as Blaine walked to make him and Kurt a coffee.

Placing one mug on the counter once it was done, he was sipping on his while looking through the cabinets for something he could make for breakfast.

He pulled a box of 'Lucky Charms' out with a smile before placing them on the counter next to Kurt's coffee.

Five minutes later, Kurt returned to the kitchen. It was all he needed to freshen up a bit and clear his mind. He noticed the kids casually eating breakfast and walked over to the counter. 

"I know what you're thinking, but I didn't run away from you." Kurt said, picking up his coffee and staring at the mug. "I just needed a moment."

Blaine nodded. 

"'Lucky Charms' for breakfast." He said nonchalantly, avoiding the other topic right now. It was easier.

Kurt was getting to know him, and he knew that Blaine was upset. Because of him, again. He had to fix it. 

"Blaine, can you look at me, please?"

Blaine flicked his eyes up, trying to remain as friendly and casual as possible. He didn't want to get all mixed up in feelings again, it had wrecked him enough. Plus, he knew they were trying the whole friends thing first.

Looking Blaine in the eye, Kurt leaned in slightly to prevent the kids from listening.

"I'm sorry. I've never felt like I didn't have control over my own body just by being around someone... until I met you. I'm just trying to handle the situation because I really want us to be friends, but please don't take it as a rejection, okay?"

"I know, I'm trying too." Blaine replied softly, before sucking in a deep breath and smiling at him, "I need to go and clean myself up." 

He walked out of the kitchen slowly and headed for the bathroom, smiling down at the kids as he passed them.

Kurt took a handful of 'Lucky Charms' straight from the box and popped them into his mouth. He wasn't really hungry, but he felt like an idiot standing there waiting for Blaine to come back. 

"Anna, Jack." 

When the kids looked at him, he spoke again. 

"Never grow up, it's easier that way."

"Uncle Kurt?" Anna asked as she swallowed her last bite, staring up at him with a curious face.

"Yes, baby?" Kurt smiled at her.

"Are you and Uncle Blaine going to get married like Mommy and Daddy?" She asked innocently, and waited for an answer with a smile.

Kurt's eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed several times, unable to make a sound. 

"Oh, wha... uhm, honey... ha!" He shook his head. "Why did you ask that?" He finally said.

"I don't know." She shrugged, "Uncle Blaine laughs at you like Mommy laughs at Daddy."

Kurt couldn't answer that. He just stared at his niece as something inside him melted and his heart pounded in his chest. 

"Finish breakfast, okay? Mom and Dad will be back soon."

"Okay." She said as she helped Jack put the last of his pancake in his mouth, and then giggled at Kurt, "can we watch TV?"

"Of course you can." 

Kurt scooped Jack up and held Anna's hand. 

"Oh, you're still sticky." He laughed. 

Turning on the kitchen tap, he made them wash their faces and hands and then dry themselves on a kitchen towel before going to the living room. He settled them on the couch, turned on the TV and went back to the kitchen. It was time to start cleaning up all that mess.

Then Blaine appeared in the kitchen doorway, dressed in skinny jeans and a t-shirt that was at least a size too small. 

"Okay, I think I just hit a new low by wearing my sister's clothes." He said with a small laugh before spying Kurt on the floor cleaning up, "let me help."

Kurt looked at Blaine as he handed him a rag and couldn't help but laugh. The other option was to notice that, despite looking ridiculous, those clothes pointed out every muscle of Blaine's body, and Kurt couldn't go there.

"You look very pretty, Miss Anderson." Kurt teased. "I thought about doing the same with Finn's clothes, but it would be impossible to find something that wouldn't fall straight to the floor. So I'll have to go home like this thanks to you."

"You would never be able to find me in Finn's clothes." Blaine joked and batted his eyelashes, "I think messy looks good on you." 

He laughed when Kurt gave him a glare full of daggers. 

"Hey, you started it!"

"And I don't regret it, it was fun." Kurt smiled. "You know, our niece just..." 

Kurt was about to tell Blaine what Anna just said, but he changed his mind. He didn't want to make them feel uncomfortable again. 

"Our niece just loves you. I think she'd marry you if she could."

"Poor her, I wouldn't wish me on anybody." Blaine laughed, still scrubbing the counter, "I'm very high maintenance, or so I've been told… I need to have so many cuddles that people get sick of me, and I spend so much money on coffee and music that we'll go broke by the time a first year anniversary comes around."

"Ugh, it sounds horrible." Kurt laughed as he put some dirty dishes in the dishwasher. "But you're really cute when you sleep, that makes up for a bit."

"And you're comfy. Like a pillow." Blaine grinned over at him, "did Finn and Brooke say when they would be back?"

"Comfy? I've never been called that." Kurt checked the time. "They didn't, but I don't think it will take long."

Blaine glanced at the clock and then sat on a chair at the table. He sighed and then turned to check out of the doorway that the kids were still occupied. 

"Kurt, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure." Kurt stopped what he was doing and sat next to Blaine with a worried look in his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." Blaine reassured him with a smile, "I just have something to say and I want you to listen until I'm done, okay?"

"Oh, okay." Kurt nodded.

"When I was in the bathroom, I was thinking a lot...about us. And I might make jokes about things, and flirt, and do stuff that makes you think I mean more than what I say. And I won't mean to, but it's just me. It's a habit I have; a charm, you could say. I just want you to know that while we're trying this whole friends thing, I won't push you into anything. I'll be the perfect gentleman, and the perfect friend. And I'll wait...I'll wait until you decide what you want to do." 

Blaine gave him a hug, pulling Kurt into his arms tightly. 

"There's no time limit and no rush." He said as he pulled back with a genuine smile, "even if you decide that friends is all you can handle for now, it's fine."

Kurt stared at him for a few seconds, and then for another few more. That guy in front of him never ceased to amaze him. 

Right then, Kurt felt like he was about to cry, but he didn't. Blaine had seen him cry too much, and he deserved to see him smile, to know that he made him smile like he hadn't in a long time, and that's what he did. 

"Wow. You're amazing, Blaine, and I don't want you to act differently. I like your jokes, your charm, and when you flirt with me, you make me feel so many butterflies in my stomach that I could fly away at any moment. If we're going to be friends, and I need us to be because I want to have you in my life, I'm the one who has to learn to manage what I feel, but I don't want you to change. Not for me, not for anyone. You're perfect just the way you are, Blaine, and I can't tell you how grateful I am that you understand the situation and give me time. I don't know what I've done to deserve you."

Blaine still held his smile as he replied. 

"It only takes one person to make you believe you deserve more than what life has thrown at you. And you're that for me, and I hope to god that, eventually, I'll be that for you." 

He looked down and took one of Kurt's hands, giving it a squeeze. 

"I know what Mondays are for you, and I also remember that you're going to talk to Jamie tomorrow, a Monday. But whatever happens, you have my number, you can talk to me about it. You know you can." Blaine nodded, and his face was open and honest as he stared at Kurt, "I'll be here for you."

"Oh god, I really want to kiss you right now, it's so unfair." Kurt laughed, dropping his forehead onto their clasped hands. "This Monday... I mean, tomorrow is going to be especially difficult, but I didn't change my mind. Jamie... it's over. And just knowing you're there helps me a lot."

He looked at Blaine, his face still resting on their hands. 

"I wanted to confess something before, remember? Tonight, I woke up I don't know what time and I saw that we had fallen asleep on the couch. My first thought was to wake you up, say 'good night' and go to one of the free bedrooms, but you were so peacefully asleep on my chest... I couldn't wake you up. It wasn't because of you, but something completely selfish. I didn't want to stop being exactly where we were, feeling exactly what I was feeling at that moment. So if I ever act like a scared child again, and I can't promise I won't, remember when I didn't wake you up because I couldn't bear to let you go."

Blaine pulled Kurt's hand away from underneath his chin, and placed a long kiss on the back of his fingers. His eyes were shining as he looked at him; he was a little surprised at Kurt's confession, but overall, there was joy. 

He kissed Kurt's hand another two times. 

"I promise that, when you get everything sorted out and you really feel like you want this, I'll kiss you senseless. But until then, I think we should keep our heads clear, sweetheart."

"You're right. You're totally right." Kurt smiled at him. 

The sound of the front door brought them both back to reality. Finn and Brooke were at home.

Kurt and Blaine walked out from the kitchen and entered the hallway intended on greeting the married couple as they came inside, but they both stopped and watched a little surprised.

Brooke and Finn were wrapped up in each other, not even looking away from each other's faces and giggling like they were still in high school. Kurt thought it looked cute, even if it was awkward because he had never seen them quite like this, and Blaine looked a little mortified watching his sister hang off of her husband like she couldn't let go. 

"So I guess you guys had a good time?" Blaine asked breaking their moment, and they both turned their heads at exactly the same time with big smiles. 

"Hey, guys." Finn said as Brooke was just staring at them a little suspiciously.

She looked them up and down. Kurt's stained clothes, his hair so disheveled, and... Blaine was wearing her clothes? 

"What happened here?" Brooke asked, pulling away from Finn a little. 

"We had a little incident with breakfast, that's all." Kurt answered, fighting to contain a smile.

"All's fair in love and war, especially with the little traitorous monsters in there." Blaine said with a laugh, "and yes, I'm wearing your clothes, sis."

Beyond their looks, Brooke studied their faces. They seemed happy, so maybe they had really sorted things out. Curiosity was killing her, but she thought she shouldn't ask. Blaine would tell her when he was ready. 

"Very good. Thanks for dealing with them. Finn and I needed a night out." 

"Yes, and looking at your faces, it's clear that you enjoyed." Kurt smirked, glancing especially at his brother.

Blaine groaned as he nudged Kurt. 

"Oh, come on, I don't need that mental image in my head." He said as he placed his hand over his eyes and laughed. 

"The night was amazing." Finn gushed as he smiled at his wife, before turning to go through to the living room, "but I missed the little monsters." 

They all watched and waited as he disappeared, and then they burst out laughing as two tiny voices yelled, "Daddy!"

"Guys, tell Daddy and Mommy how we beat Uncle Blaine before." Kurt said the moment Finn came back with the kids in his arms. 

Brooke went to hug the kids too, but she didn't miss the knowing smile Kurt and Blaine exchanged.

"Mommy, we covered Uncle Blaine in pancake mix!" Anna yelled excitedly as she hugged her mother, "and we got him down on the floor and he pretended to die!"

"Die, die!" Jack clapped his hands with a big smile, while Blaine laughed.

"To be fair, Kurt instigated the whole thing and then made them turn on me." He said.

"That's not true! They picked a side freely, it's not my fault they love me more." Kurt smirked. 

"Whatever, but you two need a bath immediately." Brooke looked at her kids, who had remains of pancakes mix in their hair.

"Oh, I keep forgetting that you're their favorite Uncle." Blaine smirked back at him, "maybe next time it should be just us. I know I would win." 

Finn looked between them for a second, before sharing a glance with Brooke. They seemed to be getting on well; a little too well, maybe.

"Are you challenging me, Blaine? Because a Hummel never avoids a confrontation."

Kurt looked at him, forgetting for a moment that they weren't alone and losing himself a bit in Blaine's eyes.

"Really? Never back down, huh? I should tell you, Andersons always win." Blaine stared back, a little more determined to see where this would go.

Finn looked back at his wife, before coughing awkwardly and taking the kids to go and have a bath, leaving her there.

"So you guys had a good night too, right? You look… happy." Brooke looked from one to the other, feeling a bit uncomfortable since it seemed like she had just interrupted a moment between the two of them. 

"Yeah, it was good... the kids were amazing, Blaine not so much." Kurt couldn't help but throw one last taunt at Blaine. He was having so much fun.

"Har har, Hummel, so hilarious." Blaine retorted with a little chuckle, kind of getting lost in the little back and forth with Kurt before blushing as he realized that he had been stuck in the moment while his sister was right in front of them. 

He coughed a little and broke his gaze from Kurt's face and turned to Brooke.

"The night was actually nice. We talked, a lot."

"That's great. I'm glad you did." Brooke smiled sincerely at her brother. "Well, I think I should go help Finn. The last time he bathed the kids on his own we were mopping for hours." 

"Yeah, and I should leave now." Kurt said. "I really need a shower and burn these clothes."

"If you ever need us to watch them again, just let us know." Blaine told her with a smile as he turned to get his sneakers on, "it was actually really fun."

"Totally. You just have to tell us, it's been a pleasure." Kurt walked over and picked up his things from the living room table before giving Brooke a quick kiss on the cheek. "Say 'goodbye' to Finn and the kids for me, okay?"

"Sure, Kurt. Are you leaving too, Blaine?" She asked.

"Yeah, I need to get out of these clothes." Blaine laughed and gave her a hug as he whispered to her, "they pinch the wrong places."

"Jeez... you know what? You can keep them." Brooke laughed. "Will you call me soon?"

Blaine nodded and gave her a wink. 

"Of course." He knew she wanted to talk about what he was feeling after last night, and he had no secrets to hide anymore, anyway. 

He turned and gave her a wave as he held the door open for Kurt.

"Bye, Brooke." Kurt smiled at her before Blaine closed the door behind them. He started walking silently to his car, Blaine at his side.

"So this is goodbye until next time, I guess." Blaine said with a shrug.

"I guess so." 

Kurt bit his lower lip. He didn't want to say 'goodbye' to Blaine yet, but he knew there was no point in standing there staring at each other. They had said a lot of things in the last few hours and they needed time to process it.

Blaine gave him a smile and opened his arms; he thought maybe it would be best if Kurt made the decision this time. There were far too many feelings that they each had no control over, and Blaine knew that it freaked Kurt out a little how powerful the connection was already. 

So, he would leave all the contact decisions to Kurt. He would offer, but he wouldn't expect.

Before he could think about whether or not he should do it, Kurt closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms tightly around Blaine's neck. Blaine's scent washed over him and Kurt just smiled against his hair.

Blaine tugged him a little closer as his arms wound around Kurt's waist, and closed his eyes as he memorised the feeling of Kurt against his body. 

"Remember, I'm on the other end of the phone when you need me." He whispered as he pulled away, taking one of Kurt's hands in his and squeezing it.

"Thank you. I'll let you know how it goes with Jamie, if that's okay." Kurt sighed and let go of Blaine's hand, walking over to his car and opening the door.

"Of course, you can always talk to me." Blaine smiled at him and waved as he walked backwards to his car, trying to avoid bumping into anything but not wanting to let Kurt out of his sight while he was still there.

Kurt smiled at him again before getting into his car. 

When he started the car and moved away, Kurt felt one last flash of happiness as he noticed Blaine was still staring at him from the sidewalk.

******

Kurt spent the whole of Sunday alone with his thoughts. His talk with Blaine had gone really well, and he felt like a weight had finally fallen off of his shoulders so that he had a clear mind to get through other things in his life. He had messaged Jamie that he wasn't feeling well, and asked if they could meet after Kurt got home from work on Monday. 

Usually Mondays were Kurt's dark days, so he didn't have any contact with anyone, including his boyfriend. But now that Mondays were not so bad anymore, and Blaine had promised he would text to make them bearable, he felt he could actually get through his break up on Monday. 

The sooner, the better. 

Jamie had text back and asked why, and Kurt had made an excuse about needing to talk through some things. Jamie had then asked why they couldn't just chat on the phone, and Kurt had almost pleaded with him for Monday. He remembered himself though, he didn't need to plead for Jamie's time anymore. He was going to be stronger than that. 

Jamie eventually agreed to meet on Monday with a simple 'ok', so Kurt had then left it, and let his mind wander to other wonderful things on that Sunday afternoon. 

As soon as he woke up Monday morning, with a smile for the first time in years, he took a shower and was making himself a cup of coffee when his phone pinged with a new message.

Text from: Blaine

\- Good morning! Did you see that it's sunny today? That's to make Monday a little more bearable. And now you'll be smiling, so this text will have fulfilled its task ;P -

And sure enough, a smile flashed across Kurt's face at that moment. No one has ever had that ability to make his day with so little. He leaned against the counter with his phone in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

\- I thought you might have been still asleep lol And yeah, nice weather makes it a lot more bearable, you're right. Thank for the smile ;) -

\- You're very welcome. I slept good today, not as good as the day before though lol -

Kurt laughed. Sleeping with Blaine had been special, and he was glad to see that the feeling was mutual.

\- Your cheesiness is appreciated, sir. But I agree, it was a very good sleep...although not so good on my spine lol -

\- I'm not cheesy, but you're so old ;) -

\- Pot calling kettle black there, old man, haha ;P -

\- Are you trying to offend me, Kurt? This early in the morning? My poor heart lol -

He enjoyed messing with Blaine too much. He felt like a teenager, and it was so refreshing.

\- Oh, I'm sure your heart will be fine XD -

\- You don't seem so worried about me, anyway :( -

\- Aww, do you need a hug? -

\- Yours? Tempting ;P -

The mere memory of hugging Blaine, of feeling every part of his body close to him, brought on some intense heat in his stomach that spread to every pore of his skin. No, this was definitely not the time to think about that. 

Kurt finished his coffee in one gulp and washed the mug before realizing it was time to go to work.

\- That's very sweet :) It's such a shame I have to get ready for work now. -

\- You ruined the moment... okay, go to work and amaze them ;) -

\- You too, even though they don't deserve you ;) -

\- They don't, you're right. Have a good day :) -

Yeah, Blaine had promised to text him and make his Mondays a little better, and now Kurt was going to work happily. He felt a lot of things for Blaine that he hadn't stopped to figure out yet, but what he knew for sure was that he was very grateful to him.

\- You too. And thank you...it's not just the weather that is making this Monday bearable :) -

\- Anytime, Kurt ;) -

******

Kurt had stepped outside of his apartment door on the Monday morning with a spring in his stride for the very first time since moving to the city, and the day had just kept on giving. 

Work had actually been very relaxed that morning. For everyone. Not one member of his team came to him with a problem to fix today, and Kurt was feeling a little liberated. It was just the day he needed; with what was coming up after work, he knew he wouldn't handle the stress of a Monday morning madness around here. 

Camille had been extra loveable this morning too. She stopped by his office almost every hour to ask him if everything was alright, and she brought him a coffee at 10am, just when the effects of his morning one were beginning to wear off. 

He met up with her at lunch, and they chatted like they usually did… only the topic was a little different today. 

"Did you see the new Vogue cover? I cannot believe somebody actually made them do an expose on celebrities with celebrity crushes. I mean, wouldn't somebody sue them for slander?" She rattled on with a big grin, and Kurt shook his head. 

"Well, Vogue is not our problem. If they want to stick their necks out that far, then beware the axes that are being sharpened." Kurt replied, and she chuckled. 

"So… how did Saturday night go?" Camille's eyebrows went up and down, and as innocent as her question was, Kurt knew she wasn't expecting an innocent answer. 

She would be dissapointed. 

"Well, the kids were very well behaved and we all had a lot of fun." He answered casually as she rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder lightly, "and me and Blaine actually had our talk." 

"And?" 

"We agreed that being friends would be best for both of us for now." Kurt said with a smile, and she groaned. 

"Really?" She banged her forehead on the desk, "you know I live vicariously through you, Kurt, and yet there's no story of a sexy rendezvous, or a blowjob on the couch or anything?" 

"Cami, gross. I wouldn't do that while my niece and nephew are around. We have to be responsible adults about this." He avoided her eyes as he said it, but when he did look at her, she was giving him a pout and a pointed look, so he indulged her a little with a roll of his eyes, "but we had a moment. A couple of moments, actually." 

"Oh, like what?" 

"Well...the kids made us dance to Beauty and the Beast." He laughed, and she smirked, "and we got a little lost looking at each other." 

"See? Now that's the kind of person I want. Someone to do silly things with." Camille gave him a small smile as he returned it, "but you haven't told me yet if this Blaine guy is hot." 

"Oh, trust me, he's hot as hell." 

They both laughed together before Kurt removed his phone from his pocket and gave her a look as he typed up a message.

\- My morning has been totally different to every other Monday I've ever experienced. Maybe I should have a good luck text from you every day. How's your work going? :) -

"Are you seriously texting him right now?" Camille asked in a hushed whisper and gripped Kurt's arm tightly as she watched his phone screen with excitement. "Am I really allowed to look?" 

He looked around the lunch room, before shushing her quietly as Blaine replied.

\- Are you asking me to text you every day? Because we could negotiate it, hahaha. Work sucks, tbh. -

"The guy has charm." She smirked, and he nudged her before typing back.

\- As I said, they don't deserve your skills. I hope you get some responses from the jobs we sent your resumes off to. Is it that bad? :( -

\- Not right now. My boss left a while ago, and I'm talking to you ;) 

\- Glad I could help your day be a little brighter :) -

\- Yeah, you have that power. I didn't expect you to text me :) -

\- Well...since you graced my phone with your presence this morning, I thought it'd be only fair that I return the favor. -

\- Did I grace your phone with my presence? I'm blushing ;P -

\- Hehehe, I wish I could see it. You know you're cute when you blush. -

"He's literally the cutest thing ever." Camille gushed with an ear splitting grin across her face, "you know, you'll have to bring him around some time, so that I can meet him." 

"I wouldn't wish that terror on him yet, you might scare him off completely." Kurt teased her, and she glared at him playfully. 

"Jerk."

\- Okay, now I'm really blushing. But I'm always cute lol -

"I can feel my teeth rotting, he's so sweet." She commented, and Kurt laughed. 

"Yeah, he gets like that." 

\- Hey, my friend Camille says 'hi'. She's sitting next to me, telling me that you're sweet. - 

Kurt texted Blaine while biting his lip, hoping Blaine wouldn't mind that he and Camille were talking about him.

\- Oh. Well, 'hello, Camille, wonderful to meet you...sort of' lol How was that? :P - 

"Are you sure he's gay? Let me have him, please!" She moaned as she placed her face in her hand and leaned against Kurt. 

"Actually, I don't really know if he's gay or bi. But no, madam, you can't have him." Kurt stuck his tongue out at her. 

\- Camille asks if you're really gay, 'cause she wants you :P - 

Kurt texted, and received a hit on the arm from his friend. 

"Don't embarrass me, Kurt, come on." She whined next to him, "I'll literally tell Blaine all of your horror work stories when we meet." 

\- Hehehe, that's so sweet, but I'm gay. But I can help her find a boyfriend! - 

"Oh my god, I have to go now; otherwise, I'll have to go to the dentist for cavities. See ya, Kurt." She stood to leave and winked at him as she did, and he laughed before turning back to his phone. 

\- She's gone, complaining you're too sweet and she's getting cavities lol XD - 

\- Well, I'm sweet ;P - 

Kurt blushed at the implication. Blaine told him he could be flirty, but this was a little risky for them being just friends. He had trouble finding a response, but soon he got another message from Blaine after that one. 

\- Sorry, that might have been a little too much X( - 

Kurt sighed and then smiled. 

\- It's okay, I just didn't know how to answer. - 

\- Good. Well, work is calling :( I have to actually be productive today lol - 

Kurt knew that neither of them wanted to stop texting, but maybe it was a good thing he was at work; it gave him an excuse to end it before things started getting awkward again. 

\- Yeah, I need to go too. As an editor, they need me XD - 

\- They sure do. Text me later? - 

\- You bet. - 

Kurt placed his phone back in his pocket. He had a warm feeling inside his chest that he hoped would ease his nerves for what was coming later. Blaine was helping, but Kurt knew in the end he had to pull through this alone. He had to be a stronger person.

He sighed as he threw his trash in the bin and headed back to his office.

******

Kurt looked at his phone again. Jamie was late, and he was never late. It was probably part of his plan to punish him, since Kurt almost had to beg him to come around because he had something important to tell him and Jamie agreed as if he was doing him a huge favor. 

Finally, 20 minutes after the agreed time, there was a knock on the door. Kurt took a couple of deep breaths before opening it.

"Hi, Jamie." Kurt said.

Jamie nodded at him from the other side of the door. His face was a mask of cold indifference, but there was confusion in his eyes too. 

"Hey."

"Thanks for coming. Come in, please." Kurt backed away from the door, staring at the ground.

Jamie walked in, not even bothering to look at Kurt yet. 

"I almost didn't come today, after the way you left things between us on Friday. But you never want to meet on Monday, so I was a little confused why you wanted to now."

"Is that why you are late?" Kurt had to ask, but after the look Jamie gave him, he decided to relax his tone. "I wanted us to meet today because we have to talk and I didn't want to wait another day. Do you want to sit?"

"Sure, why not?" He replied a little uncaringly and walked to the couch, taking a seat and waiting expectantly.

Kurt sat on the other end of the couch and looked Jamie in the eye. 

"This is not easy to say, but after what happened last Friday it's pretty clear that things between us no longer work, so..." He took a deep breath. "I think we should break up."

Jamie sat in silence for a few seconds just looking at Kurt, staring him down. His eyes filled with slight confusion as Kurt just stared confidently back at him. 

"So, you're just going to throw three years of our relationship away over one fight? We have had lots of fights over the years." He said a little too calmly, but his hands tensed into fists on his knees.

"It's not about a fight, Jamie." Kurt smiled slightly at him, trying to make him understand. "We haven't been well for a while, I know that and you know that. I think there is something missing between us, something that may have been there at some point but not anymore. I need something else, I deserve something else and so do you. We can't settle for just because we've been together for three years. It's not fair."

"Things were fine between us until you went to that stupid party. You've not been acting like yourself, so this missing thing you're talking about, it's you." Jamie was becoming angrier by the second and his voice was raising as he stood up from the couch and walked behind it so that he could pace. 

"How is any of this fair to me?" He yelled. "You could have been honest about all of this from the very beginning, so that we could fix our problems, but you let them fester and then explode and now you tell me you don't want me anymore?!"

"That's not true. We had problems before the party. In fact, there were always things that went wrong and I tried to tell you. You never wanting to see my family and friends is something that hurts me, and you knew it from the beginning but you never did the effort." 

Kurt got up, closing the distance between them a bit. 

"I care about you, Jamie, and I have really great memories of these three years together. Please don't ruin that by hurting each other more right now." 

"Hurting each other?!" Jamie screamed at him, "the only one that's hurting anybody right now is you!" 

Kurt ignored the jibe, because he was trying to keep the situation calm. He knew this was the right thing to do, he didn't want it escalating into a war. 

"Are you really happy? Are you telling me that these last few months you didn't once think that this didn't make sense anymore?" He yelled over Jamie, watching as he came to a stop and looked back at him, "I do care about you, but I care about myself too. I understand that you're angry, but I know that you will end up understanding that this is what's best for us." 

"What's best for us?" Jamie asked sarcastically with a laugh, "you mean what's best for you. I never had a problem with our relationship, only when you were acting like you were still in high school, being a big baby about me not wanting to be a part of your dysfunctional family." 

"Stop talking about my family like that!" Kurt cried out, his fists clenched in rage. All bets were off now as Kurt's mind filled with anger; nobody spoke that way about his family. "Your parents don't want to know anything about you and your siblings went to live outside the country as soon as they came of age. I'd say I'm sorry, but at this point I don't think I'm surprised." 

Kurt knew that it had hurt Jamie, even though he was too proud to show it. 

"I don't need anyone." Jamie seethed through gritted teeth. "It's a laugh that you believe you care about me, when all you care about is yourself. You're selfish." 

"You never loved me, Jamie. And if you did, you didn't do it right. The only one who's ever tried to get things done his way was you, I always had to give in. I always had to choose you over anyone else in my life to avoid a problem between us. And I'm done, Jamie, I can't take it anymore! This is over." 

"Choose me? When have you ever chosen me? All you've chosen is your family." Jamie said as he walked back to the cabinet where all of Kurt's pictures of his family were standing. "Well, go ahead and choose them. They seem to be the only important people in your life, anyway. 

"What would you know?" Kurt yelled in pure rage, and he watched as Jamie's entire face changed. 

In his anger, Jamie flung his arm out and knocked the family pictures off of the cabinet he was standing next to, and they went crashing to the floor by the couch, glass spreading everywhere. 

Kurt's eyes widened when he saw the photos fall to the ground. The pictures of his Mom and Dad, Carole and Finn, Brooke and the kids. All of his precious family portraits smashed on the floor. 

As he took a step forward, his hands shot out as Jamie's body crashed into his, forcing him backwards. They both went staggering back and as Kurt's back hit the wall, he looked up with terrified eyes. 

Trapped between a seething Jamie and the wall now, with nowhere to go, Jamie leaned forward sneering at him. 

"You will never ever find anyone to love you like I did." He said his face pulling down into an angry scowl, "and you know why? Because you're so caught up on everything being perfect that you forget about the people in front of you. You forgot about me because you want everything your way and nobody will ever be good enough." 

He punched the wall next to Kurt's head with a thud. 

Kurt froze for a few seconds until he felt the wall shake behind him. They had argued many times, but Jamie had never been violent. And he wasn't going to indulge it. Swallowing the fear that ran through his veins, he looked at Jamie with determined eyes. 

"Get away from me." Kurt said, trying to sound more confident than he really felt. 

"Now why would I do that?" Jamie placed both of his hands either side of Kurt's head, thumping his fists sharply against the wall, "I think I have every right to be upset with you right now!" 

He was screaming in Kurt's face, and Kurt flinched before his strength reappeared and he forced Jamie's body away from him with a shove. 

"I said get away from me!" He yelled, trying to stop the tears stinging in his eyes.

Jamie only smirked evilly at him from a few feet away. 

"Stop snivelling like a little baby and be a man. Fucking hell, Kurt, you're acting like I hit you or something." He said and then spied Kurt's phone on the coffee table, and like a switch went off in his head he turned to glare at his now ex-boyfriend, "so who's the guy you're leaving me for?" 

Fearful that Jamie might try and grab his phone, Kurt walked over to the coffee table intent on grabbing it, but Jamie was quicker, he picked up Kurt's phone and held it out of reach. Kurt was getting seriously pissed off with this attitude right now, Jamie had no right to touch his things. 

"Don't blame anyone else for this, it's between you and me." He said vaguely and reached out for his phone once more, but Jamie snatched it out of reach. 

"Bullshit. You think I didn't notice those looks on Friday when we were getting interrupted by those messages. It doesn't take a genius to realize that this is all for somebody else." Jamie said, angry again, "it's that guy, huh? What was his name? Blaine?" 

Kurt couldn't help the change in his expression upon hearing Blaine's name, and Jamie noticed. An unpleasant grin appeared on his face. 

"I knew it." He snapped. "But didn't you say he was family? You have to be so desperate. Is he a good fuck? Have you actually gotten to that part yet? Well..."

Despite what had just happened and Jamie's snap, Kurt couldn't help but feel guilty. He was right; there was someone else. Blaine wasn't the reason for their problems, but he was actually the reason why Kurt was considering a lot of aspects of his life. 

He sighed and decided he had to be honest. 

"Look, he is none of your business." He said extra calmly, although he was anything but, "but... I made a mistake and something happened between us. I'm so sorry, I should have ended our relationship before doing that." 

Jamie laughed out loud, but it was anything but amused. It sounded more manic and evil than it did sad. 

"You fucking cheater." Jamie said as he threw the phone at Kurt, "I had my suspicions, but I didn't think you would actually do that. Disgusting." 

Kurt couldn't help the flinch at the words Jamie was using. It was all the different phrases Kurt had called himself over the last two weeks, but Jamie had venom behind his. 

"I knew it, you're a dirty little whore." He said with an upturned nose and a scowl on his face. Then he walked past Kurt, giving his shoulder a harsh shove as he did, and walked to the door, "once a cheater, always a fucking cheater, so good riddance."

Jamie turned to look at him with disgust one more time before spitting at his feet, and Kurt was a little shocked but didn't react. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. He took one out of his keychain and threw it to the floor, where it bounced before sneaking under the couch.

"That's your key. It's not like you ever made me feel welcome in your shitty apartment anyway, I don't know why you offered it to me in the first place." 

Kurt just gave Jamie a glare as his ex-boyfriend shook his head with another amused sneer. 

"I hope this guy didn't give you AIDS, but then again, you're not my problem anymore." He said as he yanked the front door open, and Kurt couldn't help the slight jump as the door slammed against the wall, causing a picture frame to fall to the floor, "sooner or later, either you or this new guy will be the ones on the other side of somebody cheating. And I hope you feel just as bad about it then as I do now." 

With a slam of the door, Jamie was gone.

A few minutes later, Kurt was still shaking. It had been the worst fight of his life, and he would be lying if he said that, for a moment, he hadn't been afraid of Jamie. He had never been good with physical confrontation; residual effects of what was left over from his high school days made him a little more terrified than usual, and having someone that had told him they loved him for the past three years switch just like that had frightened him. At least it was over now.

Kurt went back to the couch, dodging the glass and the pictures on the floor. He had to clean that up, but he needed to do something first. 

As soon as he sat down, he took his phone out of his pocket. 

\- Jamie just left. It's done. -

\- Are you okay? -

Kurt knew there was no point in lying. It was Blaine, after all. 

\- No. -

\- What happened? You can talk to me, Kurt. He didn't hurt you, did he? -

\- Is it okay if I call you? -

\- Of course. -

Kurt didn't know if it was a good idea, but he needed to hear Blaine's voice. He pressed "call" and held the phone to his ear.

"Hey, darling, are you alright? What happened?" Blaine answered straight away, concern lacing his voice.

As soon as Blaine talked, Kurt couldn't hold back anymore and started crying. 

He couldn't tell how long he was crying, only that Blaine waited patiently on the other end of the line without cutting him off. 

He finally calmed down enough to answer. 

"Hey. I'm really sorry about this." Kurt said in a small voice.

"It's okay, Kurt, I told you I would be right here. It's alright, sweetheart."

"Thank you. I'm okay, or I'll be okay soon. Don't worry about me."

"Kurt, if he hurt you, I'm gonna...well, I'll call Finn and then we'll both beat his ass." Blaine said a little semi-seriously, trying to make Kurt laugh as well as promising bodily harm to anyone who hurt him.

A small laugh escaped Kurt's lips. 

"Easy, Superman, he didn't touch me. He got a bit violent, he had never reacted like this before, but apart from some broken glass there's no more damage."

"Broken glass? Shit, what did he break?"

"Some pictures. Not big deal, really." Kurt said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Not for one second do I believe that it isn't a big deal. Pictures are precious memories, I have a lot of them myself. You can be honest with me."

"Okay, but don't be mad." The last thing Kurt wanted to do was piss off Blaine; one of them feeling awful was enough. "He got angry and took some family pictures that I had on a cabinet and threw them to the ground. Pictures of Finn and Brooke with the kids, my parents... but they can be fixed for sure."

"Damn him…"

"Blaine, it's okay." Kurt felt a knot in his stomach from what he was about to say, but Blaine had to know. "I... I told him about us. He asked if there was someone else and I didn't want to lie."

"Oh, you actually told him everything?"

"No, not everything, it's not of his business. I just told him there was a guy and that I made a mistake... and before you say anything, you're not a mistake. The only thing I regret is not breaking up with him a long time ago."

"I mean, it's okay. Even if we don't think so now, we did make a mistake; it's alright to call it that. But we have moved past it. So are you really okay?"

"Well, he said some things that really hurt me and I may deserve some of them... but yeah, I just need a couple of days and I'll be fine."

"You don't deserve to be treated that way, Kurt, it's never okay. But I get that you're hurting."

"He called me a cheater and said that one day, I'll cheat on you or you'll cheat on me." Kurt said, avoiding all the insults. He wasn't ready to repeat Jamie's attacks out loud. "Which is absurd, because we're not even together, but... I don't know, right now I think he might not be a good person, but I'm not either."

"It's crazy. He was just taking low blows because he had no excuses for his behaviour, so he was using what you did to hurt you, but I don't think he has any leg to stand on by calling you a bad person. So don't think that way about yourself."

"But lately, all I do is hurt everyone. You've been drawn into a story that's not even yours. I shouldn't be talking to you about him, you don't deserve this." Kurt rubbed his face with the hand that wasn't holding the phone, suddenly overwhelmed by the situation.

"Kurt, listen to me right now." Blaine said a little sternly, "you didn't pull me into anything, I got myself involved. And you have made mistakes, and it ended up hurting people. But so have I, nobody is perfect. And you're now trying to make things right, for everyone. The fact that you feel so bad about your situation just proves you have a good heart and a good soul, and you're intending to put your life in order right now. I know it's difficult, but I already told you that you can talk to me about it. About anything."

He paused.

"Never apologize for talking to me, okay?"

"Okay." Kurt replied with a hint of a smile on his face. Blaine had that effect on him. "Thank you again."

"You're welcome." Blaine said extra softly, "do you want some company, or need some space right now?"

"I'd love to ask you to come here, but I know what would happen if you did and I don't want to ruin the best thing that's happened to me in a long time. So could you give me a few days to get over this? I know it's a lot to ask, but..."

"No, it's never a lot to ask. As long as we talk about things honestly, we'll be okay." Blaine's voice was a little shaky on the phone, and quiet. 

Kurt didn't really know if it was the fact that he was thinking about what may happen between them, or that he was hurt that Kurt didn't want his comfort. 

He didn't want Blaine to get hurt, but he really needed some time on his own. 

"I'm trying, Blaine, I promise." He told him softly, his voice pleading and a little broken, and he heard Blaine sigh. 

"I know." 

Kurt closed his eyes against the onslaught of emotions that Blaine's voice brought on, but instead of crying again, he took a deep breath and coughed to clear his throat. 

"I think I should hang up now. I have to clean this up and try to eat something before I go to bed. This Monday has been so Monday... except for you."

"I'm glad I could be a little bit of help for you today. You'll let me know when you feel better, right?" 

His voice was unsure as he was asking, and Kurt hated that, but he barely had enough energy to keep his own emotions in check right now. He couldn't worry about offending Blaine.

"Yeah, I'll do." He said with as much strength and conviction in his voice as he could muster.

"Okay. Take care, Kurt."

"You too, Blaine."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Kurt put the phone down on the table and looked at the floor. Seeing his family pictures lying on the floor broke his heart, so he thought the first thing he had to do was take care of that. 

He bent down and very carefully pushed the photos away from the glass. He was about to cut himself more than once, but he only got small scratches. 

Kurt went through the pictures one by one. Some had been badly damaged and he didn't think he could do anything to fix them, but luckily his favorite was intact. 

It was a picture of him and his parents when he was a child. They went to spend the day in the snow, and the three were cold-faced despite being well protected, but all three looked immensely happy. 

Kurt felt a pang of pain as he looked at his mom. What would she think if she could see him right now? Feeling like he was about to cry again, Kurt gently put the pictures on the table and scooped up the crystals with the broom before throwing them away. When he finished, Kurt looked around the kitchen for something to eat, but he wasn't really hungry, so he went straight to his bedroom. 

He put on his pyjamas and crawled into bed, feeling tired and totally broken. He was emotionally drained and needed that day to end. 

Damn Monday... it was the last thing he thought of before finally falling asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Blaine got home from work Tuesday night, exhausted. He had been at the office until much later than he planned because his boss wanted everyone to stay and have a meeting about a big project coming up. This project would be divided into different work loads and handed out into teams.

He was teamed up with James, who worked in the space next to his, which wasn't too bad. James seemed to be a cool guy; he was the first one to ever talk to Blaine when he first started working there. This project would be so much work though, and he would have to work overtime for the next few weeks just to make sure it went perfectly.

They had all been warned by their boss about punctuality, and anyone who didn't get their part of the project in on time would be fired.

He sighed as he kicked his shoes off and removed his jacket, placing the mail in his hand down onto the table in the kitchen as he walked past to head for the shower.

After his shower, he walked back into the kitchen to get something to eat, but he was stopped as he opened the refrigerator with a knock on his door.

He frowned as he walked towards the door. He wasn't expecting anyone. As he pulled it open, he was shocked to find Brooke standing on the other side.

"Sis! What are you doing here?" Blaine smiled suspiciously at her.

Brooke had a smile on her face as politely as she could make it, but her arms were crossed and her foot was tapping the floor.

"Well, I've been waiting for a phonecall for two days, but my little brother's head must be filled with other things if he forgot so quickly. So I decided to drop by instead." She explained as she walked past him without being invited in. 

"So you couldn't just call me, right?" Blaine asked with a frown, watching her as she walked into his place. He closed the door gently and walked over to her as she sat down on the couch.

"I thought it might be better face to face." She said as she patted the couch.

Blaine sighed and dropped down on the couch, watching his sister expectantly, he had no idea what she was doing here but he could take a guess. 

"I'm fine, thank you for asking." He said sarcastically and she hit his shoulder.

"I was just about to ask, you know." She glared lightly, "are you going to offer your sister a drink? I'm pretty thirsty."

"I'm sure you can go to the fridge by yourself, just as you can show up here without warning." Blaine teased her with a smirk in his face.

"Cheeky little shit." She laughed as she got up and went to the kitchen, "fine. You know, you did a really good thing on Saturday, for me and Finn. We reconnected again, and it was so nice. So thank you, baby bro."

She gave him a genuine smile as she opened the refrigerator.

"You're welcome. It was nothing, actually, you know I love those kids. But I'm so happy that Finn and you are back on the right track. You deserve it." He smiled back at her. It wasn't very often that she was happy and carefree, so it was a good change for her.

"And you?" She asked as she came back to the living room with two bottles of water and held one out to Blaine, "did you manage to sort things out with Kurt?"

Oh, this was the reason she was here. He couldn't actually blame her; he hadn't spoken to her about Kurt since last week. He knew she cared about him, and wanted the best for him.

"You managed to last two minutes without mentioning his name, I'm proud of you." Blaine told her with a smirk as took the bottle his sister handed him. "We did, I guess. We talked, we cried, we slept together..."

"What?!" She almost screamed and Blaine chuckled.

"Breathe, Brooke. We just slept... we fell asleep watching a movie. But it was worth seeing the face you made." He jibed her and she glared at him as she placed a hand on her chest in relief, "Did you really think we would do something with the kids at home?"

"Well...no. But soulmate connections are very intense in the first few months. I know, believe me." She said with a small smile, "but I'm glad you had time to figure stuff out."

"Tell Kurt about that. We decided it was better to just be friends for now. He's terrified of what he feels, sis, even I feel overwhelmed sometimes."

Blaine thought for a moment if he should tell Brooke about what happened the day before, but he knew he could trust her.

"Don't tell Finn because it's something Kurt should do, but he broke up with Jamie yesterday."

"Oh, he did?" Brooke looked surprised and paused for a few seconds, "...well, good for him. I mean, I never really met the guy, but..."

"He's an asshole," Blaine said straight away, glaring down at his bottle of water, "and I hope for his own sake I never run into him."

"You can't do that, baby. I know you feel like it's protecting Kurt, but Kurt is his own man. You know he wouldn't appreciate it." She said in a soothing tone, "so...did you tell Kurt about the soulmate thing?"

"No, I didn't." Blaine admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I don't think he felt it... on Finn's birthday, he told me he didn't know if he believed in soulmates, and I know the attraction is mutual and that he cares about me, but I can't tell him, Brooke. He would get even more scared and push me away, and I couldn't handle it."

"Oh, baby." She moved over to sit next to him and wrap her arm around his shoulders, "...I think it probably has something to do with his mom. Has he told you about her?"

"I know she died, but we haven't talked about her." Blaine said as he looked at his sister a little confused, "why?"

"Finn told me. Burt and Kurt's mother, Elise, were soulmates." Brooke smiled sadly, "when Burt married Carole, it was hard for Kurt to accept...you know, that people can love each other even when they're not soulmates."

"Oh." Blaine looked down as he thought about and Brooke patted his back softly.

"That might have something to do with it." She added, "maybe he thinks it doesn't really matter anymore."

"Shit. I didn't know that. But it makes sense... I think maybe that's why he settled for that relationship-ish for so long."

It made sense to him now. At first, how Kurt reacted to his feelings for him and the way it scared him confused Blaine, but the underlying reason was that soulmate connections didn't matter to fall in love. Blaine just hoped that Kurt could maybe change his mind.

"Yeah, probably." She sighed, "you know I met him when he was 14...such a sweet little kid. I loved him from the start. He was so innocent and curious, and so smart. He reminded me of you."

"Stop. He's so much better than me, and I'm sure he already was back then." Blaine smiled, but there was sadness in his eyes.

"Sweetheart...I may have nagged you a lot about what you've done before," she said as she turned his face to look at Blaine, giving him a loving smile, "but you're my little brother and I love you. I will always love you."

She kissed his cheek gently, and then rubbed the lipstick mark off with a laugh.

"I always have your back. And I know...you and Kurt will be good for each other."

"I know, and I love you for it." Blaine took Brooke's hand in his. "I think I'm falling for him, Brooke. I know it sounds ridiculous because it's what everyone expects since he's my soulmate, but every time we talk, I... I feel like I have him under my skin, and I don't want to screw this up."

"That's how it starts, baby. You have this intense need to be around him, and you feel like nothing feels right if he isn't there." She nodded as she squeezed his hand, "but I think for now, while Kurt is figuring out things on his own, the friends thing might be the best idea."

Blaine nodded at her explanation. It was hard for him, because all he wanted to do was be close to Kurt and get to know him, and fall in love with him. But he knew he had to wait.

"I don't want either of you to rush into it. You felt the connection, but Kurt is still confused by it, I think." She said as he remained a little silent.

"Yeah, I know this is the right thing to do. I told him that he could take all the time he needed. I'm just worried that time goes by and he never feels the same for me." He quietly confessed. That fear had been inside him since Saturday, and he felt better sharing it with his sister.

She nodded quickly. She knew he was scared and she would help any way she could but, with a soulmate connection, it was going to be difficult and complicated. Souls were so intensely bound that it hurt physically to be apart.

"Blaine...this may sound like bad advice, and forgive me for this, but..." She said slowly and sympathetically, "you should give him time, but you should also push him to make a decision. Not forcefully...just gently nudge his feelings into the right direction."

"How?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't hide how you feel or what you want to happen. You don't need to make it obvious, but you shouldn't hide it."

"Yeah, you're right. But for now, I have to wait. You know patience has never been one of my strengths, but I think I would do anything for him." Blaine laughed. "Ugh, I sound so cheesy, I hate myself."

"I know, honey, I know. You were always impulsive." She laughed and tapped him on the shoulder, "just be the best friend you can be and listen to all of his confusion and the way he feels, but also...be honest, yeah?"

"Okay. I can do that." Blaine nodded with a smile as he leaned in to hug his sister. "Thanks for being a pain in the ass and forcing me to face all this."

"You're very welcome." She laughed and hugged him back tightly, "well, I'd better go home. Finn would be feeding the kids ice-cream until they puke otherwise."

"Poor kids. An ice-cream night never hurts."

"Oh, you'll see what ice-cream actually does to kids when you have your own, it's not fun." She laughed.

Blaine got up with Brooke and walked her to the door.

"Give the little monsters a kiss for me, okay?"

She turned to him one last time at the door, placing a hand on his cheek. 

"You know, I may be a nagging pain in the ass, but I'm a phone call away if it gets too much, okay?"

"I won't forget it. Thank you again, sis."

"I love you." She blew him a kiss as she walked away, "take care."

"You too. See you soon."

After he closed the door, he thought about what she had said. He walked over to the couch and sat with his chin resting on one hand, elbow on his knee. He had thought about texting Kurt today, but after he said he needed some space, Blaine really wanted to give him that.

Kurt was going through a lot, but after speaking to Brooke about the connection, Blaine himself was going through a lot of turmoil too right now. He wanted contact, to talk to Kurt. But he also knew he had to be a good friend and let Kurt come to him when he was ready.

Even if it was hard.

He sighed and closed his eyes, sitting there alone and silent. He didn't want to think anymore, but he couldn't help it. His mind was replaying their conversation over and over again.

He didn't know much about Kurt's past, but it made sense that Kurt didn't believe that soulmates mattered. If people could move on and marry another person, then in Kurt's young mind it destroyed all the hope he had for ever finding and keeping his own soulmate.

Blaine made a promise to himself that night. He would be whatever Kurt needed him to be, and would try to make him see those connections were still very real, and that having that with someone far outweighed anything else in the world.

******

Tuesday wasn't much better than Monday for Kurt. There was no breakup with yelling and name calling, but the aftermath of this was still visible on Kurt.

He would be lying if he said he missed Jamie or regretted his decision. Deep down, Kurt knew that he had never been in love with his now ex-boyfriend and that he had made the right decision, but Jamie's words, confessing the cheating, the fear of being alone again... everything was taking its toll on Kurt.

He hadn't slept well that night, so Kurt had showed up at work on Tuesday with huge dark circles under his eyes and no desire to talk to anyone. Camille had tried to have lunch with him, she couldn't hide that she was worried about him, but Kurt told her that he had a headache and to please leave him alone. He knew from the look on her face that he had hurt Camille... great, another one to add to the list, but Kurt didn't have the strength to care about her in that moment. He would apologize later.

He did as little as possible at work and left as soon as it was time to leave. Kurt loved his job, but he wasn't himself at the time. He needed to go home and sleep.

Already at home, Kurt took a hot shower and forced himself to eat properly. He checked his phone before getting into bed and sighed. There were no messages from Blaine. Not that he expected it, he had asked for time and Blaine was being considerate enough to give it to him. So why would a part of him want Blaine to text him anyway? Maybe Jamie was right and he was selfish.

However, he pushed all those negative thoughts out of his head, put on some soothing music and managed to fall asleep relatively soon.

When he got to work on Wednesday, he felt more of a person and less of a zombie. He gave Camille a genuine smile, and watched with relief as she returned it to him. His friend was not spiteful, thank god.

By midmorning, Kurt was focus on writing an article about the latest trends for the new season when he overheard a conversation that caught his attention. His boss was talking to Allison from HR, and she was telling her that they had to find a new graphic designer, since one of the guys from the 3rd floor had found another job and had resigned without notice.

Something stirred inside Kurt. Blaine. He was sure that Blaine would be perfect for the job, and that would allow him to leave that place where he wasn't treated as he deserved. It was just perfect.

Without thinking too much, Kurt approached his boss. He apologized for overhearing the conversation, but he told her that he knew someone who might be interested in the job, and his boss told him that if he was so sure, he should tell this person to call her as soon as possible.

Kurt returned to his office with a smile on his lips, although it didn't last long. What if he had just screwed up? He shouldn't have said that to his boss without knowing what Blaine thought about it. And now he had to talk to him whether he was ready or not.

Again, Kurt left work on the hour and went straight to his apartment, confused and nervous. As soon as he arrived, he took off his jacket and shoes and went to the kitchen for a bottle of water. He drank half of it before heading into the living room.

"Come on, text him. You're looking forward to it and you have the perfect excuse." Kurt said out loud, as if trying to cheer himself up. "Am I really talking to myself? Jeez." He shook his head and picked up his phone ready to text Blaine. 

However, he ended up calling someone else.

Kurt listened to the ringing in his ear, nervously biting his lip. Why was he so anxious?

"Hi, kiddo. How are you?"

"Hey, dad." Kurt hated when his voice sounded so high, "erm...I need to talk to you. Is now a good time?"

"Yeah, sure." Burt frowned at the tone of his son's voice. "What's wrong, Kurt?"

"Nothing's wrong..." He paused and took a breath to calm himself down, "I erm- I broke up with Jamie on Monday."

"Oh. I'm sorry, buddy. Are you okay?"

"Actually, yeah, I am." Kurt laughed a little, "it's been a long time coming, I think. I was just too scared to be alone to do it before. It was bad, though."

"I can imagine. He never wanted to see us and that seemed weird to me, but still these things are always difficult. I wish I could hug you right now."

Kurt huffed out a breath. 

"Yeah, me too." He could feel the sting behind his eyes at his father's sad voice, "I miss you, even more now."

"I miss you too. But you know you're not alone. You have Finn, Brooke and the kids, and Carole and I can try to pay you a visit soon."

"That would be awesome." Kurt smiled, "Finn, Brooke and the kids are amazing at distracting me when I want it, but there's something else going on that I need your advice about."

"I knew it. You think you're very smart, but your old man can't be easily fooled. Tell me."

"The reason I broke up with Jamie...apart from now understanding I was never in love with him to begin with, is that...I met someone else. At Finn's birthday party."

Burt was silent for a while and Kurt started to get nervous, but in the end he heard his father laugh. 

"Wow... you didn't waste your time, huh?"

Kurt laughed too, but it sounded fake. 

"And...there's something else. I know you're going to be disappointed with me, dad, but...I need to tell you the truth." He took another deep breath and gathered courage, "I slept with him...I cheated on Jamie."

"You what? Oh, Kurt... look, you're an adult and I'm not going to tell you what to do, but understand that I can't support this under any circumstances. If you didn't love Jamie, you should have told him before."

"I know, I know. It was such a rash thing to do, and a stupid mistake...I was drunk, and angry... and no, that's not an excuse. I'm sorry." Kurt said quickly, "I did tell Jamie when we broke up. And now I'm just taking some time to sort through my feelings."

"Okay, it soothes me that you see that what you did was wrong. Now, this guy... who is he? I guess you like him?"

"Well...it was completely unexpected. I had met him before, but I never really talked to him until he moved to the city recently...and now we're trying to be friends and seeing how everything goes." Kurt purposely didn't say his name yet, because that would be another explanation he needed courage for, "and he's really sweet and considerate. Handsome. He's a graphic designer and there's an opening for one in my work now, so I was thinking of asking him if he wanted it."

"Why wouldn't you ask him? If you think this is a good opportunity for him, go ahead. But you're worried that working together will make the situation even more complicated, aren't you?"

"In a way, yeah...I mean, we get along really well, but it would be different working together, wouldn't it? We don't know each other that well yet...but he's desperate to get out of the work place he's in already, and I want to help."

"I'm going to be honest with you, kiddo, because I love you and want the best for you. I understand that working together can be challenging for a couple or a future couple or whatever, but I don't think that's what scares you. From the way you're talking about him... Kurt, in three years I've never heard you talk about Jamie with such affection. I can't see your face right now, but the tone of your voice doesn't lie. I think that the way you feel about this guy scares you and you're running away instead of facing it."

"Yeah. The amount I feel for him is terrifying." Kurt sighed, "you're right...but how do you know when it's the right time?"

"You just know. I knew it the first time I saw your mom, the soulmate connection hit me and I wasn't ready. I was so afraid that when I spoke to her my voice wouldn't stop shaking, but if I hadn't taken that step, then I would have spent the rest of my life regretting it. I'm not telling you to jump into a relationship if you're not sure, but avoiding him is never going to be the answer. Besides, if he's not happy in his job and you care about him, regardless of your story you should give him the opportunity to have a better situation."

"Yeah...I don't think he's my soulmate, dad, but I really do care about him. I'm gonna text him tonight about the job."

"I didn't say that he was, buddy, but I know I didn't raise a coward. So yes, tell him about the job, and just give time to whatever is happening between you two. Oh, and remember to warn him that if he hurts you, I will find him and break every bone in his body."

"I think I've hurt him more than he's hurt me... he said he'd be there for me whenever I need him." Kurt explained a little regretfully, "I think both of us need time to think about… us." 

"I'm sure you didn't hurt him on purpose, but there's not a user manual for these things. But I already like him, he seems a smart guy. What's his name, by the way?" 

"About that…" Kurt chuckled nervously, "his name is Blaine. Blaine Anderson." 

"Wait... Brooke's brother?" Burt growled. "When were you going to tell me that?" 

"Well...I mean, Finn and Brooke know. You were the only one I was actually nervous of telling, but I needed to." 

"I've heard stories about him, Kurt. I'm not sure if this is a good idea anymore..." 

"I've heard things too...but dad, are you really going to judge somebody without knowing them? You always taught me to be open." 

"Ugh, I hate when you're right. Anyway, I'm going to ask Finn about him, your opinion is not too objective right now." 

"Oh, thank you very much, father." Kurt laughed loudly down the line. 

"I don't know what else to tell you, though. You can only listen to your heart and hope everything goes well." 

"I don't know if my heart is involved just yet, but it's definitely getting there." Kurt admitted.

He laughed; he felt a lot better after talking to his father. 

"Getting there, yeah..." Burt laughed too, thinking that it wasn't the first time he knew how his son felt before he told him. "Be brave, but be careful too, okay? You're still my boy and my priority is for you to be happy." 

"I know, dad." 

"And call me more often. Anyway, like I said, Carole and I are going to visit you all soon, okay?" 

"I'd really love you and Carole to come here. We'll make a whole weekend out of it, if you want. And I promise I'll call you more." 

"Great. Good luck with Blaine. And I love you, son, remember that." 

"I love you too, even when you don't take my word over my brother's." Kurt said playfully.

"I have my reasons. Take care, buddy."

"Bye dad."

"Bye."

******

Kurt drummed his fingers on the kitchen counter again. He had been like this for a while, with a cup of already cold coffee in his hand as he looked at his phone, deciding whether or not he should do it. Can you send a message to a person three days after asking for time and space? 

It's for Blaine's sake, Kurt repeated to himself before finally picking up his phone and typing. 

\- Good morning. Is there any chance that today is Monday and I have an excuse for texting you? ;P - 

He waited for 5 minutes, and was just about to send a new text with a 'sorry' when his phone pinged in his hand.

From: Blaine 

\- Morning, gorgeous. You never need an excuse to text me ;P But why, oh why did I get graced with one of your messages today? I thought you needed some time. - 

Kurt blew out the breath he didn't know he was holding and smiled. Nothing had changed. 

\- Yeah, and thank you for giving me that. But I have some news, and I may have missed talking to you... - 

Was that too much? Would Blaine take it the wrong way? 

\- Missed you too :) What's the news? - 

Okay, switch topics now. This was good. 

\- I have a job offer for you. Would you want to work in the magazine with me? ;) - 

\- Wow! Yeah, sure...I'm sure it beats working in this place. When do I have to come in? - 

\- I promise it does. You need to call my boss, I told her about you, so she'll probably want to make you an interview soon. - 

\- You did that for me? When? - 

Kurt could practically hear that awed tone from the message. Did he really know Blaine that well now? 

\- Yesterday. I heard a conversation about one of our graphic designers suddenly quitting and I told her I knew someone. I hope that's okay :) - 

\- Of course it's okay! Thank you so much! XD - 

Kurt chuckled at the overexcited text, and then laughed again when it was followed by another one a second later. 

\- Oops, I may have shouted in this coffee shop and made people jump lol - 

\- You're welcome. You deserve a better job and I just want to help ;) - 

Kurt texted back, feeling a little pride at making Blaine this happy, and he followed the first message with a second like Blaine had done.

\- Oh, please, don't make me regret it already lol - 

\- Ha ha ha lol So when do I have to call her? - 

\- Well, the sooner the better. Let me send you her number. 

He quickly wrote down his boss' personal number and the business line for the office and sent both to Blaine. 

\- Thanks again, Kurt, this means a lot. I'll give her a call during my lunch time. Check that it's okay with her when you get to work, please. - 

\- Anytime. Yeah, I'll talk to her now. Let me know how it goes, okay? - 

\- Sure, yeah, I definitely will :) Seriously...you don't know how much this means to me. - 

Kurt could feel the blush coming up on his cheeks as he read those words. If he closed his eyes, he could picture the warm smile that Blaine always had on his face whenever he said 'thank you' in such a way. 

His chest bloomed with warmth at that, but he shook away the feeling as he texted back. 

\- I want you to be happy, Blaine, and I believe in you :) -

\- Shut up, some people are looking at me weird because I'm getting emotional in this shop. But thanks again...I have to go to work now, but text me later, yeah? :) - 

Kurt giggled to himself. How was this man so hot and so cute at the same time? 

\- Ha ha, you're really cute. Okay, talk to you later x - 

Kurt decided to call his boss right away. Julia was thrilled that Blaine wanted to speak to her, and told Kurt to tell him that it was fine for whenever today, she wasn't going to any meetings. 

He left it about half an hour before he messaged Blaine about it. He didn't want to seem too excited. 

\- Hey, I just talked to my boss. She's okay with you calling her at lunch time :) - 

\- Great, thanks xx I'll speak to you later ;) - 

Kurt smiled. His good deed for the week was done. Now all he had to do was wait until lunch time when Blaine would probably tell him all about it. He still had a smile on his face as he walked out of his apartment door.

******

Blaine didn't think his excitement could get any higher, but it just did. He had been on the phone with Kurt's boss, Julia, for the last half hour, chatting about the job and why Blaine wanted to be a part of their team. 

Blaine had thrown her a list of his skills, and all she did was giggle and say that the phonecall wasn't an interview; she just wanted to get to know him a little more on the phone before making a decision. Blaine had relaxed after that, and proceeded to chat with her about his family and his life. 

He told her that he had lived in New York for just over 6 months, and so far the city had hidden depths to it that he hoped to find one day. Blaine had made jokes, and made her laugh. She was a really nice woman to talk to, and he couldn't believe it when she ended the phonecall with 'Well, I guess I'll see you on Monday for that formal interview then?' 

Blaine had thanked her profusely and promised she wouldn't regret her decision. After he had hung up the phone, a massive smile broke out on his face, but he remembered he was at work so he dampened his joy a little and made a trip to the bathroom to text Kurt.

\- Kurt!!! I just spoke to Julia, and she wants me to come in for the interview on Monday! I can't believe this is happening! -

Kurt's response was almost immediate, which made Blaine smile even more.

\- Oh, Blaine, that's great. I'm not surprised though, I told her you were amazing and she was pretty excited to meet you lol -

Did Kurt really think he was amazing? Blaine blushed as he tried not to get carried away with emotion, but a couple of tears slid down his cheeks.

\- Kurt...you can't just spring words like that on me! I'm sitting in the bathroom, crying like a baby! :') -

\- If they are tears of happiness, I don't think I'll feel bad about it ;) -

\- Yeah lol don't worry, I just blamed the tears on my bad salad, like Reese Witherspoon in 'Legally Blonde' XD -

\- I can't believe you just said that lol -

Blaine was sure he had made Kurt laugh with that comment, and the thought of the sound of Kurt's laughter warmed his skin even more.

\- Hey, I love that movie lol -

\- Ha ha, of course you do! Hey, I was thinking... maybe we could have dinner tomorrow, if you're free. I can tell you about Julia and help you prepare for the interview. -

Blaine's eyes went wide. Had Kurt really asked him to have dinner tomorrow? But he just wanted to help him with the interview, better not get his hopes up.

\- So...a business dinner? -

\- Yes, of course :) -

Yeah, it was too good to be true.

\- Okay. I'd appreciate the help :) -

\- Or we can stop pretending and just admit that I suck at needing space and want to see you lol -

Blaine grinned so widely that he thought his cheeks would hurt later. Kurt was opening up to him; little by little, yes, but there it was. He had just admitted that he was using work as an excuse and that he wanted to see him. That was good. Blaine needed to make his intentions clear to him once more.

\- I'm not pretending about anything...I thought I already told you what I wanted. I'm just waiting for you x -

\- I know you did, but can we not call it a date? Because it was only a few days ago that I broke up with Jamie and... I think it's easier if I think of it as two friends spending time together. -

Kurt still needed time, and of course he would give it to him.

\- Okay. -

\- I'm aware that it's not easy for you, so you can say 'no'... -

Ugh, if he could just hug Kurt right now, Blaine thought.

\- Did I say 'no'? lol -

\- Do you say 'yes' then? ;P -

\- Of course it's a yes. I miss spending time with you, as friends. So I would be glad to have dinner. -

\- Great. Yours or mine? -

Blaine smirked. He wouldn't miss the chance to see Kurt's place.

\- If you've forgotten, I haven't got to see your place yet, so yours, mister lol XD -

\- Okay. You're officially invited to dinner at my apartment tomorrow, Anderson. 7pm? -

\- Make it 8pm? My boss is making us stay until 7 every night this week :( -

\- Ugh, I can't wait for you to kick your boss' ass and just leave. Okay, 8pm then. -

Blaine snorted. He just hoped the interview on Monday went well, he really needed to quit his job.

\- Me too, darling, me too x Gotta get back to work, but I'll message you later. -

\- Okay. Have a good day x -

\- You too :) -

******

Kurt heard the knock on the door and he checked the time. 8:01pm. Oh, he couldn't wait to mess with Blaine about it. 

"You're late, sir." Kurt said with a smile as soon as he opened the door, but his mouth opened in surprise when he looked at Blaine.

"I'm really sorry." Blaine huffed out as he pushed some of his still damp curls back against his head, and handed Kurt the bottle of wine in his hand, "somebody ran over a dog in the street outside work, so there was a pile up of cars for a while. Then, when I finally got home, I realized I hadn't gotten anything to bring with me, so after a quick shower I drove to the nearest supermarket that was open, and got a really nice wine and a cheesecake."

He held up the bag in his other hand and gave Kurt a sheepish smile.

"I don't know what to say." Kurt laughed and looked at the bag Blaine handed him as he let him in. "Why did you go to so much trouble to bring something? You didn't have to." 

Kurt closed the door and stared at Blaine as he took off his jacket, wet from the drops that kept falling from his hair. He was wearing a red polo shirt and a pair of black jeans. The outfit was simple, but Kurt couldn't stop looking at him. 

"You look... so great tonight." He said, unable to fight the blushing in his cheeks.

Blaine grinned bashfully as he looked Kurt's outfit over as well. Black slacks and black pin striped vest over a white shirt with the sleeves half rolled up. He looked amazing, and it did awesome things for his tall and lean body, but Blaine wasn't going to go there.

"You look beautiful as always." He complimented, and then cleared his throat, "and it's rude turning up empty handed when you have dinner with friends."

"Thank you." 

Kurt went into the kitchen to put the cheesecake in the fridge and the wine on the counter.

"Can I get you something?" He asked as he returned to the living room. "A drink, a towel?" He pointed to Blaine's curls while biting his lower lip. Blaine's hair like that had some kind of effect on him.

Blaine chuckled as he ran his hand through it.

"It's not that wet anymore, but I would love a towel. Thanks." He said with a smile.

Kurt quickly went to the bathroom and came back with a white towel that he handed to Blaine. 

"Here."

"Thank you." 

Blaine placed the towel over his head like he would after a shower and ruffled it around for a couple of seconds before moving it down to his neck and wiping droplets off of his skin that were now bothering him. He shook out the curls after he was done.

Kurt was fully aware that he was staring at Blaine in awe. When he finished drying his hair, Kurt simply had to go to the kitchen with the excuse of checking dinner and getting something to drink, but the truth is that he had to take a deep breath before turning on the oven and opening the fridge. 

He returned with two sodas and a face that he hoped wouldn't leave him totally exposed.

"Hope you like baked pasta." He said as he gave one of the sodas to Blaine.

Blaine turned to him with another grin and took the soda from him.

"I love pasta, I haven't had any this week." He said and the gestured to the towel in his hand, "where should I put this?"

"Give it to me." Kurt took the towel. "Make yourself at home, I'll be back in a minute."

Kurt went back to the bathroom, leaving Blaine alone in the living room.

Blaine watched him walk away. He noticed Kurt's red face but he didn't say anything out of being polite. He had to be careful with what he said around him, Kurt was already trying to move forward in their little romance and he didn't want to say anything to confuse him even more.

He looked at Kurt's living room as he wandered around. He spotted some pictures of Finn and Brooke on the cabinet at one side and moved closer.

There was a little Kurt in one, with maybe his father and mother. The man looked hard working and gruff, but he had a loving smile on his face in this picture. His wife had the same smile, but she was beautiful. Very slim, very feminine and petite. She had long wavy brown hair, the shade exactly the same as Kurt's. Also the eyes… Kurt had his mother's looks for sure. 

He smiled as he spied some more of little Kurt with Finn, and then Finn and Brooke's wedding picture. Then the kids, Anna and Jack, baby pictures and older.

He was just staring at all of them with a grin.

"Do you see anything interesting?" Kurt asked, looking curiosly at Blaine. He stood next to him and looked at the pictures with a big smile in his face.

"This is your mother?" Blaine asked pointing to the first picture, "you look like her."

"Yeah, everyone tells me that." Kurt smiled, although he seemed to be elsewhere for a second. "I miss her." He said mindlessly.

Blaine looked at him with a frown. 

"I'm sorry you lost her." He said as he reached out with one hand and placed it gently on Kurt's forearm, rubbing the skin softly.

"Thank you." 

Kurt closed his eyes for a couple of seconds to compose himself and when he looked back at Blaine, he did it with a smile. 

"But I didn't ask you to come to talk about sad things." 

Kurt took the soda he had left on the table and sat on the couch. 

"Are you nervous about the interview?" He asked.

Blaine gave him an understanding smile and nod before taking a sip of his soda and sitting on the next seat on the couch.

"Not really, actually. Well...I might get more nervous when Sunday comes around," he laughed, "but she sounded really nice on the phone, so that probably helped."

"Julia is great." Kurt assured him. "She is very demanding, but she knows how to bring out the best in you and always listens to your ideas. I can already picture you working there."

"Seems like you really respect her." Blaine said with a smirk.

"I do." Kurt nodded. "She gave me a chance when I was barely experienced, and I will always be grateful to her for it."

"She sounds amazing." Blaine said thoughtfully before putting down his soda and turning to face Kurt, "alright, give me some questions you think she would ask. I did come here for practice."

"For practice? Okay." Kurt chuckled, but promptly cleared his throat and put on his best professional face. "What can you offer us that another candidate can't?"

"Well, I've worked in graphic design since I left college 4 years ago, and I've learned a lot. I'm a very fast learner and I have a keen eye for intricate patterns that most other graphic designers seem to forget. I've been a part of some very big projects over the years, and have made a lot of money for various companies I've worked for. I'm pleasant to be around and respectful. I'm polite and can work well with others as part of a team."

"Very good, Mr. Anderson. With your resume you could work in almost any company, why are you interested in our magazine?"

Blaine smiled at Kurt, breaking character for a moment.

"Well, I've researched the past year of the designs in your magazine, and it's good, very good. But with me as part of your team, I could make it better. And that isn't bragging, I actually have found a lot of faults that I would have changed within your past year of publishing." 

Blaine had done his research, it was true. He spent last night after work going through older issues of the magazine and seeing if he could make a difference by working on them. He had copies of at least three that he had changed and printed out at home.

"Plus, everyone in your building seems really nice, and my current boss is using us like robots and he isn't very forgiving with time." He added after a short pause. 

"Poor thing." Kurt pouted at him. "Well, just one more question. You look perfect for the position but I like people with clear ideas, so where do you see yourself in 10 years? I promise you she asked me this when she hired me." He smirked. 

"10 years? Hmm." Blaine thought about it for a few moments, and then laughed a little, "I'll be 36. Erm...I want to build my own company; an advertising company, actually, so I would be doing that, and I would also be married and raising children, possibly 2 or 3." 

It was no secret that Blaine wanted family of his own, he always had. He loved children, and having such a cute niece and nephew just cemented that more in his soul. 

"That's my dream in 10 years." He finished with a small smile.

"That's... fantastic. I'm sure you would be a great addition to our company." Kurt stated, his eyes locked on Blaine's.

"Would she like my answers?" Blaine asked a little curiously, "I really did do a year's worth of research on 'Black and White' last night."

"I can tell. She's gonna love you, Blaine. You have confidence in yourself without being conceited, and your words show that you're really interested and want to bring your talent and new ideas."

Blaine gave him the biggest smile ever, and he had a slight blush on his cheeks. 

"Thanks, Kurt. You know, I printed some of the reworked last two editions of your magazine, to show her on Monday as proof of what I mean. I could show you this weekend, if you want."

"Sure, whatever you need." Kurt looked at Blaine and saw the emotion on his face. "You really want this, right? It's the first time I've seen you so excited about something related to work."

"I am excited." Blaine replied, not able to wipe the grin off of his face, "it's the first time I've been excited to work somewhere since Virginia."

"I know you still have to pass the interview, but... I really think you're going to get the job, and I love seeing you like this and knowing that I have something to do with it."

"I still can't thank you enough, Kurt, seriously." Blaine's whole face turned into one of affection, open and honest as he looked at Kurt.

"You don't have to thank me for anything. That look in your face right now is more than enough."

A blush started forming across Blaine's face, and he chuckled as he looked down shyly.

"I think dinner is almost ready." Kurt gave Blaine's hand a quick squeeze before heading into the kitchen.

"Good, I'm starving." Blaine said quickly as he got to follow after him, "did you want some wine? I can pour it for us."

"Yes, please. The glasses are on the right shelf." 

Kurt carefully pulled the pasta out of the oven, and couldn't help but look at Blaine, who was moving easily around his kitchen. It was a nice feeling. 

He put the pasta on the kitchen table, where he had already placed two plates and silverware. He sat up and smiled at Blaine. 

"I hope you like it. I haven't cooked this for a long time. It was one of my mom's recipes."

"It smells incredible." Blaine groaned a little as he handed Kurt a glass of wine and sat in front of his dinner, "do you cook all of your mother's recipes?"

"Not all of them, but I do what I can. Jamie was very fussy with food, he didn't like many things and I was always lazy to cook only for myself, but today I felt like it."

Blaine only smiled politely because he didn't know what to say to that. Only the mention of Jamie made him pissed off, so he distracted himself with taking a bite of the pasta. 

"Oh my god!" He moaned out loud, with wide eyes, "Kurt, this is incredible. It's the best pasta dish I've ever tasted."

"Oh, come on. You don't have to lie to me." Kurt smiled, though when he tasted it himself he had to admit that it was really good.

"Lie? Who's lying?" Blaine laughed, "god, you should be a chef. Own your own restaurant."

He paused for a second, and then looked up towards the ceiling and clasped his hands together.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hummel." He whispered, and then went back to eating.

Kurt stared at Blaine and felt something melt inside him. That simple gesture, that Blaine had thanked his mom in such an adorable way, was something Kurt would have never imagined. Blaine was definitely one of a kind. 

He looked down at his plate and kept on eating to avoid saying or doing something out of the emotion of the moment.

"Sorry." Blaine mumbled as he reached for his wine, "was that inappropriate?" He asked because Kurt was silent and seemed a little away in his thoughts, and Blaine didn't want to make him sad.

"Not at all. It's probably one of the most beautiful things someone has ever done for me." Kurt admitted, his eyes bright with emotion. "You just caught me off guard."

"Sorry again, I run my mouth sometimes. I was going to suggest a toast to you for finding me a new job, for helping me, for being my friend." Blaine explained with a smile, "but it seemed too cheesy, so I thought it would only be right that I thank your mother. For the food and for you."

Kurt quickly wiped away a tear that was running down his cheek and picked up his glass without taking his eyes off Blaine. 

"To my mom, and to destiny or fate or whatever force that decided to put you in my way."

Blaine picked his up and clinked them gently. 

"Same for me."

As Blaine took a sip, his ringtone cut through the quiet atmosphere of the room, and he looked apologetically at Kurt as he took it out of his pocket. He frowned.

"Everything okay?" Kurt asked.

"It's Nate. He never calls me this late." Blaine looked from his phone and up at Kurt, "I'm sorry, do you mind if I take this?"

"Of course not. Take it."

"Thank you." Blaine gave him another smile as he got up from the table and walked to the other side of the kitchen to answer.

"Nate, dude, now's not a good..." He paused and frowned as yells and shouts were coming down the phone, "woah! Wait, wait, wait...slow down, what's wrong?"

Blaine's frowning face turned immediately pale and terrified, and one of his hands came up to run through his hair, a nervous habit.

"What? When?" His frown deepened as his eyes went unfocused as he stared straight ahead, "wha- New York?!"

He shook, and his breathing started picking up as he placed a hand over his face.

"Fuck...fuck, fuck..."

Kurt saw the change in Blaine's expression and got up from the table, moving a little closer to him but still leaving him some space.

"No, Nate, you and Dylan stay there...I don't care, I'm not letting you drive here in the middle of the night." Blaine shouted down the phone, eyes quickly darting to Kurt and looking away again, "no, I'm not alone. Okay...no, I know...I'll be okay. I'll call you later."

Blaine was shaking as he hung up, and moved to the table to drain the wine from his glass and then grabbing the bottle and chugging a little of that too.

"Shit, shit, shit..." He repeated quietly.

"Wow, wow, Blaine, slow down." 

Kurt closed the gap between them and took the bottle of wine from Blaine's hand and set it on the table. He placed his hands on Blaine's shoulders. 

"What happened?"

Blaine's eyes were unfocused and darting everywhere like he couldn't see where he was, and he was shaking as he brought a hand up to his face to bite at his thumb nail.

"No, he can't...he can't…" He began mumbling as his breathing started getting shorter, "not here...not here."

"Blaine, please calm down, you're scaring me."

As Blaine was still not looking at him, Kurt moved his hands to either side of Blaine's face, so that he had no choice but to look back at him.

"Hey, it's me, it's Kurt. I'm here with you. Tell me what happened."

"He's here, in New York." Blaine mumbled, actually looking at Kurt now, but his eyes were still wide and scared, like a wild animal, "I need to go home, Kurt." 

He went to move away from Kurt.

"Go home? Are you kidding me?" 

Kurt went after him. 

"You're shaking and just drank half a bottle of wine. You're not going anywhere."

"I need to go home...I need to go home." He repeated desperately as he looked at Kurt with unfocused sad eyes, "I need to go home."

Tears started to pool in his eyes as he gripped Kurt's shirt in his hands.

"Please, Kurt, I need to go home."

Kurt looked at him without understanding but with a heavy heart. Blaine was about to cry and hurting, and that was too much for him.

"Okay. Okay, but I'll give you a ride. You can't drive under these conditions, I'll take you home."

Blaine only nodded and moved when Kurt did, as the other man ran to get his car keys and then led him the way out to his car. He was quiet while Kurt unlocked it.

Kurt got into the car and saw Blaine do the same. He closed the door and fastened his seat belt, but that was where Blaine's ability to move seemed to go. Kurt wanted to ask, he needed to know what was going on, but now was not the time.

"We'll be there right away, okay? Everything's going to be fine." Kurt said softly, leaning slightly over the center console and squeezing Blaine's hand.

Blaine didn't acknowledge Kurt's presence, eyes unfocused and staring out of the windscreen.

Kurt just sighed and started the car. He drove in silence the entire way, glancing every few seconds at Blaine like he was afraid he might break down at any moment.

When they finally reached Blaine's apartment, Kurt watched him unbuckle his seatbelt and get out the car without saying anything. He quickly pulled the keys out and went after him.

Blaine ran into his apartment, leaving the door open as he headed to the kitchen and to the fridge, grabbing a beer and opening it to chug it down in a few gulps. As he reached for another one, Kurt's hand took it from him and closed the fridge door.

Blaine turned to glare at him.

"Is that why you were in such a rush to get here, to get drunk? No way." Kurt said, trying to stay calm.

"You don't understand. I need it." Blaine said as gently as he could, but already being freaked out, he was starting to get angry, "give it to me."

"No, you don't need it and I won't give it to you. Let's go to the living room. We'll sit down and talk."

"I don't want to talk!" Blaine screamed as he backed away until his back was up against the counter behind him, "I want my drink! It's the only thing that helps me. You wouldn't get that because you're Mr. Perfect!"

Blaine spat the insult at him, but tears started streaming down his face.

"You're not my father, my mother or my sister! You can't tell me what I can or can't do!"

Kurt was hurt by his words, but when he looked into Blaine's eyes, he saw no anger, just fear and sadness. He knew what he was doing; Blaine was trying to push him away, but he wasn't going to let him. He took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck, hugging him tight.

"I can tell you what to do right now because I care about you and I'm not going to let you get wasted and do anything stupid. If that's what you want to do, you better drag me out of your apartment, because I'm not going to leave you alone."

Blaine froze, his eyes widened and he screamed "Fuck!" at the top of his lungs, but then clung to Kurt's back tightly. He started crying against Kurt's shoulder loudly.

"Why?! Why?!" He was screaming against Kurt's shirt. His hands on Kurt's back were clawing the fabric as a means to drag him closer, but he was shaking so badly that his hands couldn't grip it.

"It's okay, it's okay, baby, everything is going to be okay." Kurt shushed him as he pressed him closer to his body, trying to convey all his calm and affection.

Blaine's face was wet when he buried it against Kurt's neck, now soaking his skin with hot tears that just kept coming.

"I'm here with you, everything is fine." Kurt began to gently stroke the back of Blaine's neck with one of his hands while still whispering words of comfort to him.

"I'm sorry..." Blaine began to repeatedly whisper against Kurt's neck, over and over again.

"It's okay, you don't have to apologize, it's okay." Kurt assured him, not letting him go for a second. He needed to be sure that Blaine was fine.

Blaine sniffed a few more times before pulling back a little and trying to wipe his face off, not looking at Kurt as he turned away and washed his face in the sink behind him. 

"I'm sorry..." He started, and then paused for a second, "I never intended for you to see me like this. And I ruined dinner."

"Don't do that, look at me." Kurt approached him again, cupping Blaine's face in his hands. "I told you, you don't have to apologize. Dinner is the least important thing to me right now. Are you okay?"

Blaine huffed out a sad sounding laugh.

"I haven't been okay for a long time." He said as he sighed and held Kurt's hands on his face for a second, "I guess I should probably tell you what that was about. I'll probably have another breakdown at some point."

"Okay." Kurt stroked Blaine's face with his thumbs before pulling away and going to the fridge. He pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to Blaine. "This is the only thing you're going to drink tonight, okay?" He said with a small smile. "Let's go." Kurt took Blaine's free hand and led him slowly into the living room.

Blaine smiled slightly as Kurt led him to the couch and plopped himself down on the seat next to him with a sigh. He uncapped the bottle of water and had a few sips before putting it on the coffee table.

"I don't really know where to start."

"Why don't you start at the beginning? It usually works."

"Yeah." Blaine said sadly, "but there are things that I haven't told you. About me. And if I start at the beginning, I'll need to tell you it all and you'll be disappointed in me."

"Blaine, I don't care what you did before we met. Well, we've known each other for a long time, but you know what I mean. You can tell me anything, that won't change how I feel about the person you are now."

Blaine looked a little unsure, but he nodded and sighed before sitting back against the cushions of the couch.

"Well, you may already know or have heard about me from Brooke or Finn. I slept with a lot of people in college." Blaine said with a wince, "and by a lot, I mean 'a lot'."

"Yeah, I may have heard about it." Kurt laughed. "Go on."

"And when I left college, it was even easier to get laid." Blaine choked out a laugh, "Nate was my wingman."

"Your wingman? Okay. So, you and he never...?" Kurt had to ask. He knew it was probably not the main topic of the conversation, but he was so curious.

"Me and Nate? No." Blaine laughed, "he's my best friend."

"Okay, sorry." Kurt blushed a little.

"It's okay. With how close me, Nate and Dylan are, everyone has always asked the same question." Blaine placed a hand on Kurt's knee lightly, "but we never did anything together."

He sighed.

"There's a club in Virginia called 'The HookUp'." Blaine laughed and shook his head, "what a name, right?"

"Yeah, it seems like the perfect place to have a good conversation." Kurt smirked at him.

"Right. Conversation is key there." Blaine smirked back, "anyway, when me and Nate left college, we used to go there a lot. And I guess somehow I became quite famous there, or infamous, if you put it that way. I had guys throwing me their numbers, their addresses, some even their underwear. But on one particular night, we went somewhere completely different, and I met this guy." 

Kurt didn't say anything, just looked at him. He felt like the tricky part of the story was coming and he didn't want Blaine to think he was judging him, just that he was there to listen to him. 

"I think Nate and Dylan had gone to make out somewhere, I don't know. They were together then." Blaine explained, "this guy was handsome, and tall, and we flirted." 

Blaine looked down at his hands. 

"I won't go into so many details, but I left with the guy and took him to my place, just like the others." 

Blaine gasped as a memory hit him, and he closed his eyes. 

"The reason I get so pissed off or freak out when people touch my hair without my permission is because of him." He took a deep shuddering breath. 

Blaine's hand that was still on Kurt's knee tightened its grip, and Kurt quickly put his hand on it, stroking Blaine's knuckles with his thumb. He also nodded his head slightly, encouraging Blaine to keep talking. 

"I don't really want to talk about everything that happened that night...and I wasn't a virgin, by any means, but...there was something about it that made me feel dirty." Blaine glanced up to Kurt's face, giving him a small sad smile before it dropped into a frown. "Anyway, long story short, I reported him to the police and filed for a restraining order against him, but it was acquitted because of little evidence." 

"What the hell?" Kurt asked, totally in shock.

"I know." 

Kurt shook his head in slight anger. 

"This is why people don't call the police sometimes." He said with a groan, "sorry, carry on." 

"Right." Blaine started again, "well, things got a little complicated with him after that. Eventually, I got my restraining order, but I didn't feel any safer, so I moved in with Dylan and Nate for a little while until I found a job in New York and moved here." 

"So that guy was the reason you left Virginia." Kurt said. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. 

"Yeah. His name is Marcus Firello. Nate called me tonight to tell me he just found out that he was arrested here, in the city, for stalking… again." Blaine nodded slowly, letting the information sink in. 

And Kurt understood it all. Blaine had panicked at the thought that the guy he had run away from was near him again, and if they hadn't arrested him...

"Blaine, I... I'm so sorry you had to go through that. It's horrible and I understand why you reacted like that. But he's under arrest, he can't hurt you anymore."

"Maybe." Blaine shrugged, "I just don't understand why he's here. Out of all the places in America, the same city I'm in?"

He put both of his hands over his face and groaned.

Kurt felt like he had to do something. He needed Blaine to know that nothing was going to happen to him, that he was in New York now and things were different here. 

Then he had an idea. He pulled Blaine's hands away from his face to make him look at him. 

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

"Yeah, with my life." Blaine replied straight away, no hesitation in his voice what-so-ever.

Kurt sighed and put one of his hands, very slowly, close to Blaine's hair. He needed to make it clear to Blaine what he was planning to do just in case he wanted to back away.

Blaine furrowed his brows as Kurt placed a hand in his hair, never losing the small smile he had on his lips. He leaned his head forward, pushing his hair more into Kurt's fingers. 

"You know that when I said I don't like people touching my hair, it didn't include you, right?"

Kurt smiled in relief, starting to play with Blaine's curls. He slid his fingers between them, releasing a soft lock of hair and reaching for it again. 

"I would never hurt you like he did." He said, his voice barely a whisper as he continued stroking Blaine's hair. "I need you to know that, because you're not alone and I'm not going to let anyone harm you again."

Blaine's smile stretched his lips as he closed his eyes and stayed quiet while Kurt's fingers were busy playing with the curls on his head. He placed both of his hands on Kurt's knees and leaned into the touch. 

It must have been the soulmate thing that made Blaine relax around Kurt, but he didn't say it; he couldn't yet, so he just let it be and lost himself in the moment.

Kurt grinned even more as he saw Blaine enjoying his touch like a puppy. A part of him was proud to think that a while ago Blaine was freaking out and was a total mess, and it was he who was making him feel better. Kurt loved that feeling. He laid his head on the back of the couch and kept staring at Blaine, one of his hands on the back of Blaine's neck and the other playing nonstop with his curls. 

Blaine lost a little bit of control while Kurt was playing with his hair and, as a result, his hands slipped a little up from Kurt's knees to his thighs, and his eyes shot open to look at Kurt. It was no secret that there was chemistry, and heat, and affection between them, but Blaine didn't want to do anything to make him uncomfortable. 

"Sorry." He said as he removed his hands and sat back up a little. "I didn't mean to do that."

Kurt let out a gasp and silently thanked that it was Blaine who pulled away, because he didn't think he'd have been able to do it at the time. 

"It's okay. It was my fault, I played too much with your hair." Kurt laughed, looking away for a moment.

Blaine laughed with him for a second, before remembering something his sister said about being a friend but also not hiding anything from Kurt. 

He didn't want to blurt out feelings, but there was one thing he could do. He leaned forward and tucked his face against Kurt's neck as he scooted next to him a bit more, so that he could cuddle into his side. 

"Is this okay?" He asked as he looked up at Kurt.

Kurt's heart began to beat so fast in his chest. Blaine was close, too close to be just friends, but who was he kidding? He needed that contact as much or more than Blaine. 

"Yeah, it's okay." He put his arm around Blaine's shoulders, pulling him even closer.

"Sorry about all this heavy stuff tonight." Blaine whispered, not wanting to break the moment.

"It's not your fault. I'm just glad I was there with you when Nate called." Kurt answered, absently caressing Blaine's shoulder with his fingers.

Blaine grinned, looking up at Kurt's face. 

"I want you to meet them, Nate and Dylan. I think they'll love you."

"I'd love to meet them. Now that I know there's nothing sexual between you guys, I think we could get along." Kurt joked, and smiled when he saw Blaine laugh. "You should invite them to visit."

"Oh, they already are." Blaine said with a smirk, "I told Nate I didn't want him to drive through the night, but he said they're gonna drive down tomorrow."

"Great. Would you like me to meet them then?" Kurt asked a little insecure. He didn't know if Blaine would really want to spend two days in a row with him without putting their friendship to the test.

"Of course I would, but only if you want to." Blaine said quickly, "I warn you though, Dylan is a hugger and he acts like a big mama bear, even though he's the youngest." He added with a laugh.

"Yeah, I really want to. And don't worry, hugs never bothered me."

"Well, you haven't had a hug from Dylan yet." Blaine chuckled. Then, as it quietened down, he laid his head back against Kurt's shoulder, and reached down to grab his hand, "look, I know that tonight we pushed a lot of boundaries...and I like having you here, but you can go home now if you want. I'll be okay."

"Don't you want me to stay?" Kurt asked, the pain quite obvious in his voice.

Blaine sat up quickly and turned to look at him, gripping the sides of Kurt's face and staring into his eyes. Those blue eyes were shining and Blaine had to say something; otherwise, he would lean in and kiss him, and he couldn't do that. 

The first move would have to be up to Kurt. 

"Of course I want you to stay, but I also know that it's only been 4 days since you broke up with...him." Blaine settled on 'him' instead of 'the douchebag', trying to be polite but not really wanting to say his name, "and we agreed to be friends...I just don't want you to stay if it makes you uncomfortable."

Kurt sighed. Blaine was right, tonight they had crossed the friendship line too many times and right now they were on unknown territory, but his dad had told him that he couldn't be a coward and had to stop running away, and that's what he planned to do. 

"I want to stay. I don't want to leave you alone tonight. We're not going to... you know. I just need to be near you."

Blaine snorted. 

"Of course we're not going to have sex, Kurt." He giggled as he nudged his shoulder, "what do you take me for?"

"I'm sorry, but the last time I was in this apartment you didn't say that." Kurt laughed, digging his finger into Blaine's side in a playful way.

"Yeah, but we were on the same page that night." Blaine smirked at him.

Kurt wanted to tell him that they were both still on the same page, that they had never been on the same page so much before. But it wasn't the time, Blaine had just gone through an emotional roller coaster and Kurt didn't want to confuse him even more. 

"So what, are you going to provide me some pyjamas or am I going to have to sleep naked tonight? Because that might send the wrong message."

Blaine just raised his eyebrows and gave Kurt a quick once-over, and then leered at him playfully.

"Oh, please, stop imagining it. You're a pervert." Kurt pretended to be offended.

Blaine only shrugged like he didn't care, and then laughed as Kurt rolled his eyes. 

"I don't think any of my sweatpants will fit you, you have exceptionally long legs." Blaine explained, "but I have a t-shirt and some basketball shorts for you."

"I'm quite proud of my long legs, thank you very much." Kurt winked at him. "A t-shirt and some shorts will do."

"So am I." Blaine whispered as he stood up from the couch, giving Kurt a wink back before heading into his bedroom to grab him some clothes.

Kurt watched Blaine leave the room, his eyes lingering more than they should on Blaine's perfect ass and he snorted, smacking his forehead. Everything would be easier if Blaine weren't so temptingly hot.

Blaine's phone, that he left on the coffee table, pinged with a message.

Kurt heard the sound coming from the phone, and his first instinct was to glance at it, but then he remembered Jamie demanding him to show him his phone and he knew he couldn't do it. Whatever he had with Blaine was much better than that. 

"Someone texted you." He told Blaine as soon as he returned to the living room.

Blaine grabbed his phone from the table as he handed the clothes to Kurt. He had already changed into some shorts of his own and a white vest. 

"You can go and change in the bedroom if you want, or the bathroom." Blaine gestured politely as he read the text and then smiled, "God, these guys, seriously."

He turned the phone screen around to show Kurt.

From: Nate 

\- Look, Blaine, I know you're probably drinking yourself stupid like always, but just don't forget about us coming down tomorrow. Dylan has been crying and screaming about it all night. Take care of yourself, angel, don't do anything foolish, okay? Luv you x -

Kurt read the text and laughed. He could tell that those guys had a special relationship with Blaine and that they really care about him, and for that alone, Kurt already liked them. 

"Drinking yourself stupid, huh? You've been close, sir." Kurt smirked as he grabbed the clothes and stood up. "Answer him, they're so worried about you. I'll be right back." He said before leaving for the bedroom.

Blaine smiled as he watched after Kurt before quickly pressing the call button instead of texting.

"Blaine, everything okay?" Nate answered worriedly, and Blaine chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I'm actually not drinking anything right now." He told him.

"Wow. That's a new one. I thought it was a stress reliever for you."

"Well…" Blaine laughed, "I already have another stress reliever here with me."

"Drugs? Blaine, what have we told you-"

"No, you idiot." Blaine admonished his friend, "Kurt's here. We were having dinner when you called me, and he kind of saw me freak out."

"Oh, shit." Nate sighed down the phone, "did you just say you were having dinner? Are you guys together now? What's going on?"

"No, we're close but not together… yet. He broke up with the douchebag on Monday, so he needs time. We're just friends right now." Blaine quickly explained, looking at the bedroom door because he didn't want Kurt to hear this.

"Have you told him you're soulmates?" Nate asked.

"No, and please don't let Dylan tell him about that. I don't want to scare him off, okay?" Blaine added quickly, "he'll be here tomorrow to meet you, guys."

"Dylan has a big mouth. I can only do so much about it." Nate laughed, and Blaine rolled his eyes.

"Well, I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Take care, B."

Blaine hung up the phone with a smile. His best friends were going to be in the same room as his soulmate. It was exciting and he couldn't wait.

Kurt came back to the living room the moment Blaine left the phone on the coffee table again. 

"How did it go? You seem happy." Kurt said, looking at Blaine's smile.

"Dylan's dramatic and Nate's worried, but they're awesome. I can't wait until you get to meet them. Pretty sure you and Dylan are going to get along, he's the one that likes cooking, so..."

"He's a hugger, he likes cooking... are he and Nate serious? Because..." Kurt raised his eyebrows as he flopped onto the couch.

Blaine laughed out loud.

"He also snores, has bad table manners and chews his fingernails...and he cannot sing a note to save his life." Blaine said semi-seriously, "but if you want somebody like that, be my guest."

"Oh, Blaine, you're so adorable when you're jealous." Kurt crossed his arms over his chest and looked up at him, enjoying the situation.

"Even without me in the equation, you'd have no chance with either of those boys." Blaine said with a smirk, "they're soulmates."

"That again? How can you be so sure that soulmates really exist?" Kurt asked with interest.

"Well...my sister, for a start. She found hers." Blaine said with a small smile, "and my best friends...they weren't always together." 

He went on to explain before Kurt could interrupt. 

"When Nate and I were in our last year of college, we all went out dancing, just the three of us. We weren't going hunting for anyone that night. I had gone to get a drink from the bar, and when I turned around, they were both just standing there...on the dance floor, staring at each other. It was weird." He added with a small chuckle, "and then they told me what it felt like. The warmth inside that feels like fire but it doesn't hurt, it just makes you feel alive. Tingly." 

He looked back at Kurt, who was still looking at him a little curiously but also sceptically. 

"They decided that while they were still in college, they just wanted to stay friends. And they did. When me and Nate graduated, they started dating, and have been together ever since." He shrugged at the end, and Kurt gave him a small tight smile. 

"That story is really beautiful, but that doesn't change anything. Apparently, my parents were soulmates, but my mom died and my dad found someone else and he's happy. I'm not saying I don't believe in love, but soulmates? I forgot about that fantasy a long time ago."

Blaine knew. He knew Kurt didn't believe. It didn't stop that statement from stinging, quite a lot. It felt almost like rejection.

He felt his chest go hot as his heart seemed to ache underneath, but he pushed down the shivers that were starting and gave Kurt a smile.

"Yeah, I mean...anybody can fall in love, I guess." Blaine nodded, "but nobody ever really knows when they're going to feel that connection…if they ever do. Some people never do."

"Then I guess I'll be one of those people." Kurt shrugged and let out a sad sigh.

Although he no longer believed in it, Kurt was a romantic and it hurt to be so incredulous about it.

"Well...I don't know about that," Blaine nudged him, because he wanted to pull that empty look off of his face, "I think that somewhere out there in the world, is exactly the type of person for you. You may not meet him today, or tomorrow, or even next year, but I believe that you will get a happily ever after, just like any fairytale prince."

It hurt to say all of that and not just blurt out 'it's me, Kurt, I'm right here', but that wouldn't do any good and he needed to see a smile.

"Maybe. I don't know, and I don't want to think about it right now. Tonight was intense enough already." 

For some reason, Kurt suddenly missed Blaine's touch and feeling close to him like a while ago, so he was the one who moved now until he was right next to Blaine, and snuggled with him.

Blaine's heartrate jumped a little higher as he was caught a little off guard with Kurt being so forward at wanting affection. He did let out a tiny gasp, but he wrapped his arm around Kurt's shoulders quickly.

Kurt put his arm around Blaine's waist and curled up on him even more, his head resting lightly on Blaine's chest.

He felt his whole body warm slightly and he smiled. That was fine, Blaine was fine. There was nothing sexual or sordid there, just tenderness.

"Thanks for letting me stay." He whispered.

Blaine's entire body was on fire inside, and his heart was skipping a beat every time Kurt breathed against his chest, or that's how it felt.

Tears stung his eyes at the intimacy he craved but couldn't have just yet. He tightened the arm around Kurt's shoulders and held him there.

"You're welcome." He whispered, too afraid to be louder and have his voice cracked with emotion. He couldn't let out how sad he was right now, Kurt would only worry.

He coughed a little to clear his throat.

"We should go to sleep. We've had a long night." Blaine said as he shifted slightly, "I can take the couch, and you can have my bed."

Kurt sat up straight, feeling momentarily sad to let Blaine go.

"What? No, no way, this is your apartment. I'll sleep on the couch."

"This couch is very small; I've slept on it before, so I know I'll fit. Besides, you'll only complain about your back hurting tomorrow." Blaine said with a small laugh as he stood up and stretched out his tired limbs with a yawn.

"Okay. Erm… what if we both sleep in the bed? We already slept on a couch together and nothing happened." Kurt said with a shy and nervous smile.

Blaine looked at him a little anxiously, and then looked away.

"I would, I really would. But after what happened tonight...I don't think that would be a good idea, I'm sorry." He explained, feeling much more guilty about it than he should, but this was the right thing to do.

He had to push the distance a little more because he was hurting himself again.

Kurt's eyes widened in surprise as he felt a sting in his heart. That had hurt. Although he knew deep down that Blaine was doing the right thing, Kurt felt like he had just rejected him somehow, and he suddenly wanted to be alone.

"Yeah, sorry, I shouldn't have said that. You're right." Kurt faked a smile as he headed down the hall. "So... I'll take the bed then, thank you. Good night, Blaine."

Blaine shook his head after Kurt left. Watching the bedroom door for a moment, he thought about kicking it down and grabbing Kurt, kissing him and holding onto him all night.

But...he couldn't. This was the path Kurt wanted for them, and he had to stick to that. Until Kurt was ready for more, Blaine had to keep them both clear of any further mistakes they would make.

But the look on Kurt's face, as if Blaine had killed his puppy in front of him… that was awful. He sighed as he retrieved a pillow and a blanket from the hall closet and then made himself comfortable on the couch.

Maybe Nate and Dylan could shed some light on this awful feeling for him this weekend.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! All you avid and loyal readers out there, you can now rejoice at this extended posting time. We have decided to post on Tuesdays and Fridays now, so you get two helpings a week instead of one! XD
> 
> We love you all, and we hope you enjoy the rest of this fic, just as much as we loved writing it! Take care everyone!

Kurt was a little disorientated when he woke up. His head was a little fuzzy, and he groaned as he sat up. He checked his phone, which was on the small cabinet beside him. It was already 9:30am, much later than he ever got up on a Saturday. 

He smelled something good wafting through the air, and then his eyes widened when he remembered he wasn't at home. That's right; he had stayed with Blaine. 

In Blaine's bed. Alone. 

He sighed as he yawned against his hand and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stood and stretched before his bladder protested and he had to scoot out of the bedroom quickly to go to the bathroom. 

After relieving himself and washing his hands and face, he ran a hand through his hair to sort it out, making sure he was presentable before venturing back out into the hallway. 

The smell was coming from the kitchen and he walked over slowly, only to come face to face with Blaine, shirtless, placing slices of bacon on a grill on top of the counter. Kurt froze for a moment, forgetting how to breathe as his sleepy eyes took in all of that skin and muscles that were moving underneath it. 

As Blaine turned to put on the coffee machine next to him, Kurt managed to shake himself out of his stupor long enough to make his presence known. 

"Morning." 

Blaine jumped with a yelp, hand on his chest, and Kurt's eyes didn't, didn't do a quick sweep of those abdominal muscles and hip bones. They didn't. 

"You made me jump. Good morning." Blaine smiled as he turned back to the food, "want some coffee?"

"Coffee would be great."

Blaine poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Kurt. 

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I did, although it was strange." Kurt replied with a laugh, as he took a sip of his coffee. 

After about 3 seconds, though, he shook his head. He had something else he wanted to say. 

"I'm sorry about last night, Blaine." He started in a soft voice, "I shouldn't have suggested sharing a bed. That was completely inappropriate of me, especially after what you had gone through. You were right; I shouldn't have gotten so upset about it."

"Kurt, it's okay." Blaine smiled at him. "I wanted to apologize too. I think I was very blunt and I didn't mean to. I was just trying not to complicate things even more for you and, to be honest, sleeping with you in the same bed requires a restraint that I didn't have last night."

"I realized that after I laid there thinking about it, and thank you. For doing the right thing, for both of us." Kurt gave him a smile.

"You're welcome. I told you, Kurt, I'm not in a rush with you. I'll wait." Blaine assured him with bright eyes. "And now let's have breakfast, I interrupted dinner last night."

"Well, that wasn't your fault, but yeah, I'm very hungry." Kurt gave him a grin, and then took a few more sips of coffee.

"Great. We have pancakes and bacon." Blaine handed Kurt a plate of food before turning off the heat and pouring another plate for himself. "Kurt, what I told you about last night... I want you to know that I didn't mean to share my trauma with you like that. Brooke doesn't know about it, just Nate and Dylan."

"Blaine...I care about you, and I needed to know last night so that I could help. I'm glad you told me." Kurt placed a hand across the table to rest on Blaine's, reassuring him, "but I'm curious. How did you keep this from your sister?"

"Come on, you know Brooke." Blaine looked at Kurt with a smirk. "I love her so much, but she's extremely protective of me and I don't want her to be watching me all day as if I were some kind of injured puppy. Besides, she has always been very critical of... well, my lifestyle. I don't think telling her will do any good at all."

"I get it. I know how she is." Kurt nodded in understanding, "nobody ever has to tell anyone else their business. But I'm glad you told me. I won't say anything."

"I know you won't." Blaine removed his hand from under Kurt's carefully. "Don't take it wrong, but I need both to eat." He teased him.

"Oh, I think I'm finished taking things wrong. I think I've kind of understood how I'm seeing things lately and it's always negatively." Kurt explained as he began to eat his own breakfast, "I just always seem to go back to rejection or someone telling 'no', but I shouldn't do that. I have to realize that nobody wants to hurt me, and I have to also realize how my own actions can hurt others." 

He shook his head and remained quiet as he ate a pancake. He looked up at Blaine. 

"I think I was subconsciously waiting for something to go wrong, because it's just the way my brain reacts to things. But I'm really going to try and not let small things affect me so much." He gave Blaine a smile after that.

"I'm glad you think like this. A lot is happening lately and you feel vulnerable, so evertyhing affects you more than necessary." 

Although it seemed like he was talking about what Kurt had just told him, Blaine was actually talking about himself. Ever since he had known that Kurt was his soulmate, he studied each of his words and acts hoping to find a hidden and generally negative meaning in them, and he had to stop beating himself up like that, just like Kurt. 

"We have to start worrying less and enjoying more. I'm sure Nate and Dylan will help us with that today."

Kurt agreed with a nod. 

"What time do you think they will get here?" He asked curiously as he finished off the last piece of bacon on his plate.

Blaine checked his phone. 

"A couple of hours, maybe. Nate texted me this morning when they left, it was pretty early."

"Well…then I should better get going home so that I can make myself presentable for other people this morning." Kurt said with a laugh as he finished his coffee.

"Please, you look gorgeous even with my old clothes, how do you do it?" Blaine finished his last piece of pancake and got up to pick up his plate and Kurt's.

Kurt blushed and hit him on the arm as he passed him, laughing slightly. 

"Oh, come on. This is the natural look, sure, but if I'm going to be making an impression on your friends, I need to be more put together than this." He stood up and pulled on the shorts and the t-shirt he was in.

"Okay." Blaine laughed, glad that it was important to Kurt to make a good impression on his best friends. "But they're going to adore you whatever you wear, I'm warning you."

"Yes, but if you know me by now, you know that I have to present myself in the perfect outfit." Kurt chuckled as he strode off to the bedroom to get dressed in his clothes.

Blaine laughed as he put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. He was happy, incredible as it seemed. Last night he was about to lose his mind for a moment, he felt his world falling apart again, but someone didn't let him go. 

Kurt was there, held him and listened to him. He brought Blaine back from that dark place he used to run to when things got tough. 

Oh, and everything that came after that. The looks, the cuddles, the feeling of being at home. It was true that their tense moment just before going to sleep seemed to have spoiled the good atmosphere, but everything had returned to its place during breakfast. Plus, his best friends were about to come around. 

As soon as the dishwasher was full, Blaine started humming a song. He even got so excited that he began to move around the kitchen to the rhythm of the music, until he made an elaborated twist and found Kurt, who was looking at him really amused from the kitchen door.

"Nice moves." Kurt said with a small smile.

"You got dressed really fast, didn't you?" Blaine looked down when he noticed that he was blushing.

"Well, I don't have to worry about my hair or anything yet." Kurt winked as he grabbed his keys from the counter where he left them last night, "well, I need to go and shower, do you want to come and get your car? Or will you get it later?"

"Right, my car. I'd better get it now, it'll be worse later." 

Blaine ran to his room. He put on an old t-shirt and jeans and grabbed his phone and his keys before peering back into the kitchen. 

"Let's go."

Kurt smiled and winked at him. 

"I'm surprised you didn't dance all of the way to your room, twinkle toes." He teased as Blaine locked his apartment door.

"You're never going to let me forget it, right?" Blaine sighed dramatically as they headed towards Kurt's car.

"Never." Kurt laughed as he opened the car to let them in.

The ride to Kurt's house was very different from the one they made the night before to Blaine's house. Kurt turned on the radio and they went all the way singing, and laughing, and messing with each other. 

When they got to Kurt's house, Blaine said 'goodbye' to Kurt with a quick kiss on the cheek before getting in his car and driving back home. Kurt stared at the car until it was out of sight as the brief sensation of Blaine's lips on his cheek still tingled all over his skin. 

He sighed but he immediately chuckled. You're going to see him again in a little more than an hour and you're looking in the direction he left like he's going to war, Kurt mentally scolded himself. With a smile on his face again, he went upstairs to get ready.

After showering, Kurt sorted out his hair and then shaved and creamed his face. Yeah, he felt so much better. 

His shirt was a button up dark red with cream colored polka dots all over it. He rolled the sleeves up, though, to keep it casual. His pants were dark green skinny jeans, with a black belt and his signature black boots. He made sure not a hair on his head was out of place before using hairspray to set it. 

He wondered, idly as he brushed his teeth, what Blaine's friends would be like. Blaine said he would like them, but Kurt didn't have that many friends himself, he wasn't a social butterfly. 

Would they like him? He had no idea, but he trusted Blaine's word.

******

As soon as he got home, Blaine went straight into the shower. After reveling for a while and feeling his muscles relax under the hot water, he went to his room to get dressed. 

He settled on a white t-shirt, a casually open black shirt and light blue jeans that were slightly fitted. Now came the most difficult part, his hair. 

He was in front of the mirror moving his curls from one side to the other for the umpteenth time, trying to make them perfect when there was a knock on the door. Blaine smiled and almost trotted to open it. Whichever option awaited him on the other side was great.

Before he could say 'hi', Blaine felt someone jump on him and he quickly wrapped his arms around their waist. Dylan was squeezing him so hard that he was starting to regret breakfast. 

"I'm happy to see you too, Dyl!" Blaine finally said, smiling against his friend's shoulder. 

"Are you okay?" Dylan pulled away from him just enough to look at his face. "Oh, Blaine, I was so worried about you." 

"I'm fine, I promise." Blaine said before turning to his best friend. "Hi, Nate."

Nate didn't say anything, just smiled and held his arms out as Dylan stepped back to let them reunite. 

Nate held onto him tightly at first, and then eased up on it, but he didn't let him go just yet. Not even when Blaine started laughing.

Kurt had parked on the side of the building in the same spot he did last night, and took the elevator to Blaine's floor. When he walked down the short hallway to Blaine's door, he stopped and stared for a minute as he could see two men there with Blaine, one hugging him and one watching with a smile. 

Those must be Nate and Dylan. He smiled as he stepped up to them, stopping just a few feet away.

Nate was still cuddling him, ruffling his curls, and Blaine protested before he finally managed to push him off with a laugh. 

"I was worried." Nate said as an excuse, giving him another smile.

"You guys have to stop worrying about me all the time. I can take care of myself." Blaine tried to sound convincing, but the truth was that he felt so much better with them there. 

As he watched Blaine and Nate talk to each other, Dylan noticed that someone else was there. He turned around and found Kurt. 

"Blaine, your neighbor is staring at us and I'm scared." He said, wrapping his arm protectively around Blaine's shoulders while still looking at Kurt.

The dark haired man next to Blaine turned to look at him as Blaine did. Kurt gave them a little wave.

"Dyl, he's not my neighbor." Blaine laughed. "It's Kurt."

Nate's eyes widened in surprise and then he relaxed and gave Kurt a polite wave and a smile. 

He had no control over Dylan, though. He tried to grab him, but he was too slow.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry, I'm an idiot. Of course you're Kurt. Hi!" Dylan released Blaine's shoulders and went to Kurt, wrapping his arms around him for longer than is socially accepted for someone you just met.

"Dylan!" Nate called, but he was ignored.

Kurt smiled and hugged Dylan back. "Nice to meet you."

When Dylan finally let him go, he looked Kurt up and down and turned to wink at Blaine. 

"You didn't tell us he was that handsome." Dylan said, as Blaine covered his face with his hand, although underneath it he was smiling.

Kurt blushed at the compliment and laughed a little uncomfortably.

Nate decided to intervene and walked up to remove Dylan from Kurt's side and introduce himself with a handshake. Kurt accepted smiling. 

"Nice to meet you, Kurt."

"You too."

"That's all? Sometimes I'd kill you, sweetheart." Dylan glared at Nate before approaching Kurt again. "Your eyes are amazing, Kurt, do you know it? Oh, are you blushing? You're adorable. Come on, you have to tell me all about yourself." He linked his arm through Kurt's and headed inside Blaine's apartment. "If you see that I talk too much, just tell me, but I'm so excited to meet you and to be here. Can you believe that this is the first time I come to New York? The buildings are even bigger than on TV!" 

Blaine saw Kurt's face and turned to Nate. 

"I think we should go rescue him." He chuckled.

Nate grimaced a little before laughing too.

"Yeah, let's go."

Kurt was a little shell shocked by Dylan. The excitable blonde was friendly and warm though, and he didn't have any problems with being complimented. 

"Blaine told me you like to cook. I do too." Kurt said after Dylan had finished talking about New York.

"Really? Finally someone with whom I can have a conversation about cooking! Nate is a disaster. If it were up to him, we would just eat take away, and Blaine... I know he's so cute, but don't make me talk about his culinary skills." 

"I'm hearing you, Dyl." Blaine said, reaching up to him and giving him an affectionate pinch on the arm. 

"As if I was lying." Dylan stuck his tongue out at him and turned back to Kurt. "Trust me, terrible."

Kurt turned to Blaine with a small smile and held out his arms for a hug. 

"I kind of forgot to say 'hi' to you outside." He said a little shyly.

"Cute." Nate said from behind them.

Blaine's heart skipped a beat, and even though his friends were watching, he went quickly to Kurt and hugged him tight. 

"Hi." Blaine whispered in his ear. 

"Look at them." Dylan told Nate, resting his head on Nate's shoulder. "I want to adopt them."

"You want to adopt two fully grown adults?" Nate asked as he turned to grin at Dylan, "you know they will run away from you, right?"

"No, they won't. They are actually two babies who need a lot of love."

"You're the baby who needs a lot of love." Nate whispered at him and then kissed his cheek.

Kurt pulled back from Blaine a little and smiled bashfully at him.

"What?" Blaine asked.

"Let me treat you and your friends to lunch." Kurt said as he looked around at all of them, "you were right, I like them already, but I think I need to get to know them more."

"You don't have to, but I'd say I'm not going to make you change your mind, so fine."

Blaine smiled at Kurt, and reluctantly pulled away from him to look at his friends.

"Guys, Kurt wants to treat us to lunch."

"Oh, thank you so much, Kurt!" Dylan said excitedly. "I'm sure you know the best restaurants here, I wouldn't trust these two to choose a place."

Kurt chuckled at Blaine's offended face and nodded as he walked forward and placed his arm into Dylan's.

"Yep, I do know the best places, but it depends what kind of food everyone likes." Kurt said with a grin as he waited.

"Sushi." Nate said straight away.

"No, I hate sushi." Blaine complained. 

"Shut up, Blaine. Do you like sushi, Kurt?" Dylan asked.

Kurt looked between Blaine and then Dylan, before smiling nervously.

"Well, I do, but..." He started, and looked back at Blaine, "I mean, I wanted to take everyone, so if Blaine doesn't like it..."

Nate covered Dylan's mouth as he opened it again.

"What do you want to eat, Blaine?" Kurt asked him.

"Whatever you choose is fine, Kurt, even though you traded me for the enemy." Blaine pointed at Kurt and Dylan's linked arms with a fake scowl.

Kurt frowned playfully.

"And here I thought you wanted me to get along with your friends, and then you tell me I'm doing something wrong? Oh, Blaine, I'm so disappointed and hurt." He said a little over dramatically, and Nate chuckled loudly.

"I like this guy." He said eventually.

"I'm so offended that I plan to monopolize Kurt all day. Let's go, honey." Dylan raised his chin smugly and led Kurt out of the apartment. 

Blaine and Nate went out after them, but they gave them some distance. Blaine needed to know his best friend's opinion. 

"What do you think?" He asked after closing the door.

Nate gave him a smile.

"He's sweet and sassy." He said quietly, watching his boyfriend chatting to Kurt and laughing with him as they followed them to the elevator, "how's things going?"

"Last night, I almost lost my mind after you called me, and Kurt... he was amazing, Nate. He calmed me down like no one had ever done it before. Then we cuddled on the couch and... every time he touches me, I feel like my heart is going to explode inside my chest."

"You're getting in way too deep to keep this friendship going." Nate said honestly, "I can see that. Do you know how he feels?"

Kurt and Dylan had stopped by the elevator and were waiting for them.

"You're right, but we can't help it. I know he likes me, but he's still afraid of what he feels. Last night, he proposed that we slept in my bed together, and I couldn't do it."

Nate stayed silent as they approached the elevator where Kurt and Dylan were still talking, but he gave Blaine a pointed look that said he wasn't finished yet.

"I decided on pizza. There's an Italian restaurant a couple of blocks over." Kurt said with a smile, "hope that's okay?"

Nate nodded.

"Fine by me."

"Perfect." Blaine said.

The elevator doors opened and the four of them got into it. Dylan leaned closer to Nate to peck his cheek and Kurt looked at them and smiled. 

"Everything okay?" Blaine asked him quietly.

"I see what you meant." Kurt whispered to him, as Nate turned to smile at Dylan, planting a kiss on his lips as well, "they're like complete opposites, but they kind of fit together."

He smiled at Blaine.

"See? Sometimes, that kind of story works." Blaine smiled back at him and Kurt, suddenly feeling shy, hid his face in the crook of Blaine's neck.

"Hey, what are you two whispering about?" Dylan asked, nudging Nate as if to say 'look at them, it's obvious'."

Nate sent Dylan a look that clearly said 'stop it right now' before he smiled over at the other two. 

"They may be thinking up ways to ditch you somewhere in New York. Hey, if you are, you can count me in." He teased in his most serious voice.

Kurt looked a little offended on Dylan's behalf, but he couldn't help but laugh a little.

"You couldn't live without me and you know it." Dylan replied, showing Nate his middle finger. "Kurt, come here, darling, you're the only one giving me affection today."

"You and Kurt have fun...he'll be wishing you weren't his friend after 5 minutes." Nate said as he stuck his tongue out at his boyfriend as the elevator stopped.

Kurt chuckled as he was pulled away from Blaine and smiled between all of them. They were incredibly funny.

Already on their way to the restaurant, Dylan started walking fast with Kurt by his side. When he looked over his shoulder and saw that Blaine and Nate couldn't hear them, he turned to Kurt with wide eyes. 

"So you and Blaine are... friends, right?" He asked, an innocent smile on his lips.

"Yeah, we are." Kurt smiled back at him, "sort of."

Kurt didn't know how much he could say to Dylan. Being one of Blaine's friends, he knew he could trust him, but he didn't want to say the wrong thing.

"Sort of?" Dylan looked curiously at him. "Look, Kurt, we just met and I'm not getting into your relationship. I just want to give you some advice, if you'll let me."

"Erm...sure." Kurt replied nervously, but willing and curious to hear it.

"Nate and I were so scared at first and we took it easy. We were friends for a while and did things right. Blaine is one of the best people I know. He may seem a bit cocky at first, but he has a huge heart and deserves someone who loves him with everything they have. Besides, I believe that you are just what he needs."

"I know he's a good person." Kurt replied, giving Dylan a tight smile, already beginning to feel a little uncomfortable talking about this, "he's sweet and I care about him. But last Monday, I just got out of a 3 year relationship, so I still need more time. I don't really know if pushing ahead right now would be moving too fast."

Kurt felt his heart thud painfully and rubbed his chest for a second, and then he fiddled with his hands nervously.

"I don't mean to sound rude or anything." He continued. "Blaine is the nicest guy I've ever met, but I don't think a romantic thing is what I need right now. I'm too scared."

"I like you, Kurt. I think you know what you want and you care about Blaine. And I heard you when you said that you're not ready for romance, but honey, you don't have to put a name to it. Maybe, just maybe, you're already more into it than you think." 

Blaine reached them just then, wrapping his arms around Dylan's shoulders. 

"Dyl, I hope you're not embarrassing me with Kurt." He said, smiling at both of them.

Kurt jumped a little, not expecting Blaine to suddenly appear, and gave him a smile, trying not to show how his nerves had gotten to him before.

"No, he wasn't embarrassing you." He said with a small laugh, "he's just telling me how wonderful you are, which I already know."

"Blaine." Nate interrupted, staring at Kurt and then at Dylan, "why don't you let me have some Kurt time for the next block, huh?"

He held out his arm for Kurt, who took it a little nervously.

As soon as Dylan let Kurt go, Blaine put his arm around Dylan's shoulders and pulled him to him. 

"What did you tell him?" He asked a little concerned. 

"Nothing, honey. I just told him that my boy is amazing and that I hope he treats you as you deserve." 

"Dyl... " 

"No." Dylan cut him off. "You know that Nate and I love you so much, and Kurt has to know that you deserve the best." 

"I don't want to scare him any more than he already is." Blaine sighed.

"Fear sometimes helps us value the one in front of us." Dylan stated with a smirk.

Blaine didn't answer, he just smiled at him and hoped that his friend was right.

Kurt had no idea if Nate was going to drill him the same way that his boyfriend had, but Nate was acting pretty calm as they walked, so he relaxed a little.

"Whatever he said to you, ignore him." Nate told him after a minute, and Kurt looked at him curiously, to which Nate just smiled. "Look, I love him, he's my best friend, and my boyfriend, and the love of my life, but sometimes he likes to believe he's a great matchmaker." 

Kurt nodded with a smile.

"And you?" Kurt asked him with a raised eyebrow, and Nate shrugged a little.

"I just don't want you to think you have to rush through your own feelings to please us." Nate explained, "Dyl is a romantic, I'm more practical. If he makes you uncomfortable anymore today, I'll tell him to back off. We both love Blaine and want to see him happy, but it's not our place to try and push it."

Kurt smiled at him gratefully. Already feeling his nervousness slip away, he breathed a sigh of relief. 

"I thought-"

"I know. I love Blaine, but he's an adult, he can make his own decisions."

"I really care about him, Nate." Kurt assured him, and received a smile.

"I know you do."

They came to a stop when Kurt pointed to the restaurant, and then waited for Blaine and Dylan to catch up with them. Kurt turned a big smile to Blaine and nodded towards the place.

"Someone is excited to treat us to lunch." Blaine smiled back at him.

"They have an amazing pizza here that I think you all should try." Kurt told him, suddenly shy.

"And I trust your opinion. Come on." Blaine put his hand gently on Kurt's back and they walked into the restaurant together, followed by Nate and Dylan.

"You're sitting next to me." Nate whispered to Dylan.

"Why? Did I do something wrong?" Dylan pouted at his boyfriend.

"I just think you're getting too involved, baby." Nate replied gently as he watched Kurt and Blaine speaking to the hostess in front of them, "give them some time together."

"Hey, guys!" Kurt called back to them, "they have a booth for us."

"Coming!" Dylan said, but he stopped Nate before he started walking. "Tell me you don't think the same. Soulmates bond or not, Kurt is in love with Blaine and he's getting carried away by fear."

"It doesn't matter what I think, it's up to Kurt to figure it out. There's nothing wrong with being scared to make a mistake." Nate said as he linked his arm with Dylan's and walked after Kurt and Blaine, "let's just enjoy our time here with them while we can, and stop trying to force them."

"Okay, I'm sorry. I just want Blaine to be happy." Dylan whispered to him before sitting in front of Blaine and Kurt, who had already settled into the table together.

"Are you guys okay?" Kurt asked them as they sat in the booth a little too tense, looking at Blaine to see if he noticed.

"Yeah, darling, we're okay." Dylan put on his most charming smile before reaching for the menu. "So Kurt, what do you recommend to me?"

"They make a spaghetti pizza here. I know it sounds strange, but I've had it before and if you don't mind the calories, it's amazing." Kurt told him with a smile, "but um...they have a lot of good pastas, like the chicken Alfredo; that's nice too."

"Spaghetti pizza? I have to try that." Blaine smirked. "If it's as disgusting as it sounds, you'll pay for it."

Kurt turned to him with a playful gasp.

"Blaine, I would never make you eat something disgusting." Kurt admonished him with a laugh, "it has a thin crispy base, and they arrange spaghetti on top like another base. Then they fill it with tomato sauce, meatballs and cheese on top. It's delicious."

Nate laughed.

"It sounds complicated, but I'll give it a try."

"So I guess it's spaguetti pizza for all of us." Dylan announced, taking Nate's hand in his.

Nate brought Dylan's hand up to his lips and kissed his knuckles lightly, before placing their joined hands back down.

Kurt smiled.

"Great."

Kurt had rarely laughed as much as he did during that lunch. After the waiter brought them the pizzas, he decided to ask Nate and Dylan for some funny anecdotes about Blaine in college, and Dylan's face lit up like a child's on Christmas Day. 

Before Nate or Blaine could stop him, he started telling all kinds of stories to Kurt, which included Blaine getting drunk, Blaine and Nate terribly singing karaoke, Blaine naked in the middle of a class for a bet, or Nate drinking shots from Blaine's belly button on a birthday. 

Then Nate decided that this had gone too far, and he fought back, with Blaine's help, with a couple of stories about Dylan. One of them was about him making out with a girl at a party, and Dylan seemed quite proud of it. 

Kurt listened to everything laughing nonstop, sharing amused glances with Blaine and feeling part of that group that had a past together. A past they had wanted to share with him. 

When they left the restaurant three hours later, all of them were happy and had full bellies.

"Thanks for lunch, Kurt." Nate said as they were heading back to Blaine's apartment, "you know, that pizza looked absolutely disgusting, but it was pretty tasty."

He added a teasing laugh at the end, and Kurt joined in with a chuckle.

"You're welcome."

"I can try to make it at home, darling. Kurt and I will come up with the recipe, right?" Dylan smiled at Kurt.

"You bet." Kurt answered him with a wink.

"I wouldn't make it too much." Nate said to Dylan with a smile, "you'll make me fat."

"Don't worry, Nate. If you need someone to taste what you cook, guys, I volunteer." Blaine chuckled. He had really liked the pizza.

Nate pushed Blaine's shoulder with a chuckle.

"That's because you don't put on weight like I do."

Kurt shook his head at them.

"What? I've always used a bigger pants size than you." Blaine complained. 

"Because your ass is more upturned than his, sweetheart." Dylan teased them.

Kurt snorted out a laugh as Nate and Blaine both looked at Dylan with a glare.

"Okay, enough about asses and pants sizes." He said as he spoke over them, "how about we do something fun?"

"Yes! Now you're speaking my language, Kurt." Dylan clapped his hands excitedly. "What can we do? We have the best city in the world at our feet, where are we going? I want to see something iconic!"

"How about Central Park?" Kurt asked with a smile, "if it's your first time here, we have to go. It's a nice day." 

Kurt looked at Blaine and Nate too. Nate smiled at Dylan and shrugged.

"Oh, can we go there, baby?" Dylan wrapped his arms around Nate's neck. "I know you don't like parks, but I'll make it worthwhile." He bit his lower lip mischievously.

"Please, don't make a public fuss in Central Park. I live right up front." Blaine snorted.

Nate smirked over at Blaine as his arms wrapped around Dylan's waist.

"You know we'll stay out of sight." He said as he turned to catch Dylan's lips with his own, "of course we can go to Central Park."

Kurt was watching them warily, not knowing if they were being serious about doing something at the park or not.

Dylan took Nate's hand and they headed to Central Park. Blaine looked at Kurt's face and got closer to him. 

"Don't take them seriously. Even if it doesn't seem like it, they know how to behave."

Kurt smiled a little nervously, but he laughed as he watched the lovebirds walk through the entrance of the park.

"Are you sure? Because I just saw Dylan grab Nate's ass." Kurt said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"I wouldn't worry about groping hands. They shouldn't get into much trouble for that." Blaine said as he rolled his eyes in his friends' direction, before holding his own arm out to Kurt and gesturing towards the park, "would you like to go for a stroll, Mr. Hummel?"

"It would be my pleasure, Mr. Anderson." Kurt giggled before taking Blaine's arm.

Blaine smiled widely as they walked along, arm in arm, Kurt's other hand resting on Blaine's forearm. The skin-on-skin contact was nice, it dampened the little bit of insecurity Blaine felt being outside. 

He couldn't help but worry after last night, but it was nice to have his friends there as well for that very reason. 

"You've been amazing with Nate and Dyl, by the way." Blaine told Kurt as he matched their footsteps so they wouldn't bump each other.

"Well, it's so easy to be amazing with them." Kurt said with a smile, lightly stroking Blaine's forearm as he spoke. "Dylan is a ball of energy, he's funny and cute, and Nate... he's special. He tells a lot just with his eyes. You guys are pretty alike in that."

Blaine chuckled a little. 

"Yeah, it's a good thing that we're both quite calm. It helped a lot in college; being roommates, it was easier to study and have some peace." Blaine explained, "until Dylan came diving into our friendship."

"And he turned your worlds upside down, didn't he? It's great to watch them. At times, it looks like Nate is going to strangle Dylan, but then they look at each other and you see that he would give anything for him. I would pay to see you three in your crazy college days, though." Kurt turned to Blaine with an amused grin on his face.

"Oh, you wouldn't have liked us much in our college days." Blaine snorted, "Nate was kind of an asshole, he mellowed a lot after he and Dylan started dating. Dylan, well...he probably would have been nonstop flirting with you."

"I don't see the problem." Kurt teased him.

Blaine laughed loudly and then sobered up when he realized how loud he was, sending a little grin to Kurt. 

"I don't think you wanna know the kinds of things the old Dylan would have said to you."

"Well, I'm not sure if you're trying to scare me, since I still have to spend the rest of the day with him… but now I do wanna know."

"Oh, he's not like that anymore. He may make comments about certain things, but he would never go too far. He learned tact from dating Nate." Blaine nudged him, "but he was the king of flirting. Nate was more the type to stare at somebody until they got the hint that he liked them."

"And you? How were you?" Kurt asked with real curiosity.

"I was charming." Blaine shook his head with a small smile, "all I had to do was flash my Blaine Anderson's smile."

"Really? Don't be so smug." Kurt chuckled, nudging Blaine with his shoulder.

"It's true. I had a certain look that just made people like me. I'm not saying it to be smug."

"Did you use it on me? That night?" Kurt didn't know where that question came from, but he couldn't control himself.

Blaine winced a little. 

"Probably. You don't remember?" Blaine asked curiously. He wasn't hurt; they had both been really drunk, but he knew he lay the charm on pretty thick when he drank.

"To be honest, I don't think there was something specific that made me want you or go to your place with you. I guess it was supposed to happen and it did. And it has led us to be walking through Central Park right now while your friends are doing god knows what behind a tree, so it could have been worse." Kurt laughed, looking around absentmindedly.

"Well, you're probably right… but if the smile had been used, you would be already a goner. Trust me." Blaine chuckled and covered Kurt's hand on his arm with his, "Dyl always called it my 'naughty boy next door' smile." He laughed well naturedly.

"Oh, please." Kurt bowed his head, hiding his laugh. 

After a few seconds, he spoke again. 

"Can I ask you an intimate question?"

Blaine glanced at him with a raised eyebrow and a little nervous smile. 

"Sure."

"How many?" Kurt asked with a small voice.

"How many what?" Blaine asked a little confused.

Kurt sighed. 

"How many guys... you know?" He blushed and looked at the ground.

Blaine's eyes widened in shock. 

"How many guys... have I been with?" He asked as confirming if that was really what Kurt was asking.

"Yes." Kurt shook his head. "You know what? You don't have to answer, sorry."

Blaine stared at Kurt for a few seconds, and then gave his hand a squeeze. 

"It's not that it's a secret, Kurt." Blaine told him and gave him a sad smile, "I'm just a little worried that when you hear it...well, you'll be disappointed and maybe upset with me. I know it was before we slept together, but it doesn't make what I did have any less of an effect on us."

Kurt took a deep breath before looking at Blaine with an honest smile on his lips. 

"I told you last night and I repeat it now. I don't give a damn about what you did years ago, I only care about who you are now. I'm not asking this to judge you, I never would. I'm just curious."

"Okay..." Blaine said, still a little hesitant, but he returned Kurt's honest smile with his own, "I don't have an exact number...but I think somewhere around 400."

"400?" Kurt couldn't help the high-pitched tone in his voice as his eyes widened.

Blaine nodded with a small sigh.

"It's a... big number."

"Yeah, it is." Blaine said as he glanced at Kurt, slowing their walk for a moment and squeezing his hand again, "are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just..." Kurt started, but then he changed his mind. "It doesn't matter."

"Be honest." Blaine teased him a little, but he was serious, "you can tell me what you're thinking."

Kurt looked Blaine in the eye and knew he had to tell him the truth. 

"I may not have expected such a number, it was a surprise. But what I'm really thinking is that... my experience is much more limited than yours and maybe the night we spent together was a bit disappointing for you." He blurted out.

"Oh!" Blaine said as his eyes widened in shock, "no, no, no...our night together was fucking amazing. I'd never felt that way about anybody before, and it made it so much better. Please believe me." 

His eyes portrayed all of his affection for Kurt when he looked at him, and the smile he gave him was radiant. His whole face was filled with so much care and warmth, willing Kurt to believe him.

Having Blaine so close looking at him like that almost made Kurt shiver from head to toe. So when he smiled back at him, he tried to convey what he was feeling at that moment. 

"I believe you. It was amazing for me too."

Blaine frowned a little as he remembered something from that night, and he had to confirm it. His mostly drunken memory of that night could have been mistaken anyway. 

"Erm, Kurt, can I ask you something? About what you said that night?" He asked a little unsure, but also curious.

Kurt suddenly got nervous thinking about what the question might be, but Blaine had just been brutally honest with him, and he owed him the same. 

"Sure, tell me."

"You told me that night that you had never had a blowjob. I'm just wondering why that was. I mean, you and Jamie…" He tried not to say his name with a growl, but he did anyway, "were together for 3 years."

Kurt felt some intense heat on his cheeks. 

"Oh, that..." He cleared his throat. "Well, Jamie didn't like to do that, so..."

"Really?" Blaine yelled a little in surprise, and then shook his head with a sigh, "he calls himself a gay man and won't suck a cock? Jeez."

"Blaine, we're in the middle of Central Park. Would you mind toning down when you talk about people sucking things?" Kurt scolded him, although it was obvious that he was trying to hold back a laugh.

"I'm sorry, it just surprised me." Blaine laughed at Kurt telling him off, and shrugged, "besides, I think they have worse things in New York to worry about than guys talking about cocks."

"I don't care. Control yourself, mister." Kurt chuckled until he got serious again at the thought of his ex. "And no, he didn't like it. Or so he told me the first time we had sex. He never made any pretense of wanting to after that and I never insisted."

"So...just handjobs and anal, huh?" Blaine asked, although quietly now.

"Yeah. He didn't like bottoming either, I just topped 2 or 3 times, so our sex life was pretty limited now that I think about it." Kurt confessed, avoiding Blaine's gaze.

"This will probably make me sound like a slut, but…" Blaine started as he stopped and turned to Kurt, giving him a very understanding grin, "you know, there are other more exciting things about sex than what we did. I have a lot of experience in that department and I hope that one day...soon, I'll be able to share it with you. Sorry." Blaine added quickly after realizing what he just implied, "I didn't mean it to sound so sordid."

'Sordid' was not the word Kurt was thinking of. 'Hot as hell' fit better. The heat he'd felt on his cheeks spread across his skin as the memories of that night hit him, and the way Blaine was looking at him didn't help either. 

He noticed his breathing was picking up and he started giggling nervously as he scratched the back of his head. 

"You didn't, it's okay. And… I hope so too." Kurt replied when he was finally able to look Blaine in the eye. "But we should look for the guys now, right?"

Blaine nodded, and when his eyes shot over Kurt's shoulder, he smirked. 

"No need, they're over there." He gestured behind Kurt.

Kurt turned his head and saw Nate and Dylan coming out from behind some bushes and walking towards them, both with a big grin on their faces as they hurriedly buttoned up their pants. 

"Dylan, I think you have some grass in your hair." Kurt said as he broke into laughter.

Dylan quickly ran a hand through his blond hair, too happy to care. 

"Thank you, honey. You guys are adorable like that, arm in arm."

"And you guys are going to be arrested again for public indecency if you keep that up." Blaine replied, keeping Kurt's arm firmly in his as he started laughing too.

"Again?" Kurt asked.

Nate cut off any other replies with a serious look.

"A story for another time."

Blaine snorted.

"Oh, come on. Dylan, you will tell me about it, right?" Kurt tried, but before Dylan could answer, Nate pressed his mouth to his boyfriend's to prevent him from speaking. "Or not." He added, looking amused at Blaine.

Blaine turned to Kurt with a smirk and then whispered. "It's too late for me, but you can still get out of their clutches if you run now." 

As soon as he said it though, he was tackled onto the grass verge behind them by both Nate and Dylan.

Kurt could only watch them with his hands on his hips while crying with laughter. 

"Remind me not to go out in public with you again." He said, wiping his happy tears away.

Blaine was wrestling Nate off of him, but Dylan pushed him back down, straddling him as Blaine struggled to get up. Nate grabbed Dylan off of Blaine, and as Blaine got up, he pushed them both over onto the grass before running and hiding behind Kurt. 

"You think having a war with kids is bad." Blaine said a little out of breath, "try wrestling with these idiots."

Nate stood up and helped his boyfriend off of the grass before grinning widely at Blaine hiding behind Kurt. 

"You know we'll just have to tackle Kurt too, right?"

"No, no, don't even think about it. Take him, but leave me alone." Kurt said. 

"Go get him!" Dylan launched on Kurt, who tried to run before Dylan finally caught him up and tackled him onto the grass. 

"Blaine, help me!" Kurt yelled, still laughing out loud as he tried to get away from Dylan.

Blaine laughed and then was tackled by Nate, landing on the grass right beside Kurt, but he wrestled Nate underneath him with a grunt, before smiling down at Kurt. 

"This is kind of like an acceptance thing." Blaine managed to say before Dylan pushed him over and sat on him, but before Kurt had a chance to get up, Nate grabbed him and pulled him into the pile of bodies. "Sorry, beautiful." He added as Kurt's face appeared near his, "no getting away from them this time."

"Good, you're all going to regret this." Kurt shuffled around on the grass and started tickling everyone, directing his hands to the body that was closest to him at every moment. 

At one point, he had Nate totally at his mercy until Blaine wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him off his friend. 

"Blaine, no, I already got him!" He grumbled.

"I think you just won, baby." Blaine said with a laugh as both of his friends were lying on the grass trying to catch their breath.

"So you will learn not to mess with me!" Kurt raised his arms in triumph as he began to hum 'We are the Champions'.

Nate waved from the grass without raising his head. 

"'Merciless tickler' shall be your honorary title." He yelled out from where he was lying, and Dylan laughed as he rolled over and sat on top of his boyfriend.

"If you meant to offend me by it, not at all. I accept my title with pride."

Kurt felt so happy and free in that moment that he decided just to act and not think, so he spread his legs and wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist, who was right in front of him, and drew him until Blaine's back was pressed against his chest.

Nate sat up and wrapped his arms around Dylan as they watched Kurt happily cuddling with Blaine.

Blaine's face was the perfect picture of happiness itself. He felt warmth burst inside his chest as Kurt held him, and he placed his head back onto Kurt's shoulder and relaxed with a sigh. He could get used to this.

Kurt expected to receive a disapproving look or some comment from Nate and Dylan, but they were both looking at them with a smile and everything seemed right. He relaxed even more and enjoyed the moment, tightening his arms around Blaine's waist a bit. 

"Thank you." He whispered to Blaine.

"For what?" Blaine gently whispered back.

"For this day, for being you. I'd forgotten what it was like to feel this free, so thank you."

"You're welcome." Blaine leaned his forehead against the side of Kurt's face and then pecked a kiss to his temple.

After spending a few more hours in Central Park, they all returned to Blaine's apartment. Dylan suggested that he and Kurt should make dinner together, something light after the pizza they had for lunch. After all, Dylan worked in a restaurant and his dream was to be a renowned chef one day, so he took every opportunity he had to practice. Kurt happily accepted. 

When they set the table, Blaine and Nate just sat and watched them work.

"Guys, you should come over and see if you learn something." Kurt told Blaine and Nate while cutting some vegetables. "Dylan is on fire."

"Dylan is going to be the hottest chef in the world." Nate said as he just sat back and smiled, "and trust me, I'm not going to get in the way."

"Baby, I love you, but I don't want you near me while I cook." Dylan said, turning around for a second to blow Nate a kiss. "Kurt, the last time he tried to cook something, I couldn't come out of the bathroom for two days. Be grateful that I don't give you more details." 

"Okay, I won't ask." Kurt laughed and added the cut vegetables to a pan.

"Dyl never trusted us to cook for him, Kurt." Blaine said with a grin, "he would always complain about every little thing we did, and in the end, he always took over. So we just leave him to it now." 

Nate agreed with a nod.

"I'm sure Dylan had his reasons. When you try and cook something other than pancakes, Blaine, you will have the right to speak." Kurt smirked at him. 

"Did I tell you that I adore this guy?" Dylan went to Kurt and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Well, he has enough sass to deal with Blaine, so…" Nate grinned at his friend, and Blaine glared back at him. 

"Shut up."

"Poor thing, we're all messing with him and he can't take it." After mixing the vegetables in the pan, Kurt turned and leaned against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest, looking amused at Blaine.

"Oh, that's okay. You'll get it soon too and I will just let it happen." Blaine said with a pout and poked his tongue out at Kurt. 

"How childish, Anderson." Nate laughed at him, and Blaine threatened to punch him by raising a fist at him.

"Okay, kids, dinner is almost ready, so behave or Kurt and I will eat it all by ourselves." Dylan warned them by pointing with the wooden spoon in his hand.

Blaine and Nate both raised their hands up in surrender and wore matching innocent smiles.

"How cute you two are." Kurt joked, serving everyone's plates and placing them to the table. "Grilled chicken with sauteed vegetables." He proudly announced.

"Wow, it looks and smells great." Blaine grinned up at him, "thanks, Kurt." 

Nate pulled Dylan's head down as he walked past with another plate, and planted a kiss on his lips as his thanks.

"I haven't done anything, the credit goes to Dylan." Kurt squeezed Blaine's arm softly before sitting down next to him. 

"No way. Kurt is the best scullion I've ever had." Dylan assured.

"Kurt is the best at everything." Blaine added as he started eating, and Nate shared a fond look with Dylan before engaging Kurt in conversation. 

"So Kurt, you work in fashion, right?" Nate asked.

Kurt smiled at Blaine before looking at Nate. 

"Yeah, I work as an editor at 'Black and White Fashion Magazine'." He answered. "I'd say I'm a fashion expert, but I don't like to show off."

"You can certainly tell you're into it from your clothes, they're very stylish." Nate responded before taking a bite of chicken.

Blaine smiled. 

"This is Kurt actually dressed casually. You should see him on special occasions." He told them.

"Blaine, stop, I'm trying to have a conversation without blushing." Kurt laughed, tapping Blaine's hand with his fork. "Nate, I think Blaine said you're a teacher."

Nate nodded and gave Kurt a smile. 

"Yes, that's right. I'm a history teacher in a public high school. I have to deal with young immature minds...just like I do with these two." He said it so casually, and Blaine chuckled. 

"Hey, I moved out 6 months ago. You don't have to deal with me anymore."

"Ignore him. He misses you more than he would like to admit. We both do." Dylan told Blaine.

Nate gave Dylan a pointed stare. 

"Who was the one that wanted a sex marathon all over the place the same night Blaine moved out?" He said snidely, and Blaine groaned. 

"Guys, I'm trying to eat here."

"Nate, baby, I'm always up for a sex marathon, but that doesn't mean I don't miss our friend." Dylan reproached him. 

Kurt didn't say anything. He just seemed suddenly interested in his chicken as he laughed.

"My presence didn't stop any of you before." Blaine said with a smirk, "especially as I was lying on the couch." 

Nate laughed and tried to whack Blaine with his fork, which Blaine dodged. 

"That was in college and that was one time. Stop bringing it up."

"I wonder how you all had time to study at college when you were so busy with... other things." Kurt pointed out with a smirk, shaking his head.

"College was a little wild. I'm surprised we got out of it alive." Nate laughed as he winked at Kurt.

"Can we stop talking about sex now and move on?" Blaine asked as he kicked Nate's leg underneath the table, "I wanted to tell you all that I have an interview on Monday."

"Oh, Blaine, that's great, sweetheart! Where is it?" Dylan asked, looking at Blaine with interest.

Nate perked up a little with interest as Blaine shared a smile with Kurt. 

"Kurt's office lost one of their graphic designers, so he managed to score me some brownie points with his boss by bragging about me." He said with excitement in his voice.

"I didn't do that. I just told Julia about an amazing graphic designer who could be interested." Kurt smiled fondly at him before looking at the guys. "With his talent, the job is his, but don't tell him that I told you that." He whispered like Blaine wasn't right next to him.

Blaine chuckled happily as some color flooded his cheeks a little. 

"You should buy a subscription to the magazine, guys, so you can have a little piece of me and Kurt every month." Blaine grinned at them, "I've read some of the articles that Kurt wrote about trend setting, and it’s inspiring."

"Oh, I will. I need that magazine so I can brag about my friends at the restaurant." Dylan said excitedly. 

Kurt's face almost split in two with a smile when he heard that Dylan had said 'friends' and not 'friend'.

Nate snorted out a laugh. 

"Maybe it would give that hostess girl at your restaurant a tip about wearing bright colors that blind people." He said while shaking his head, "neon pink and green doesn't go well."

Blaine just smiled over at Kurt, and as he caught his eyes, he mouthed the words 'Everything okay?'

Kurt looked at him and nodded his head, the brightest smile in his face. 

"Wait..." He said as if the information had just reached him. "Did you say neon pink and green?" 

Kurt's horrified look made everyone laugh.

Nate nodded at him sadly. 

"I wish I was kidding. It was an eye burner."

"I don't know if I can keep eating knowing that someone like her exists." Kurt mumbled dramatically. 

"When you guys come to Virginia, you're invited to eat at the restaurant so you can have a chat with her, Kurt." Dylan laughed.

"Yeah. 'Welcome to Virginia, let us burn your retinas for life'." Nate said as he finished off the last vegetable on his plate and got up to put the plate in the dishwasher.

If a couple of days ago any Blaine's friends he hardly knew had invited him to Virginia, especially assuming that he and Blaine would go there together, Kurt would probably have freaked out, but Nate and Dylan were so great and he felt so comfortable with them that he just smiled. 

"Actually, I need to go there and get her out of her mistake. I owe it to the fashion world." He stated.

Blaine put the last piece of chicken in his mouth before smiling at Kurt. 

"If anyone can correct that girl on what not to wear, it's you, darling." He said with a wink as he got up to help Nate clear away the cooking mess from earlier.

"Thanks for the trust. Hey, do you need some help with the dirty dishes?" Kurt asked, getting up and walking with his empty plate over to where Nate and Blaine were.

Nate took it from him with a smile. 

"No, no, you two cooks go and relax, we're designated dish washers tonight." 

Blaine nodded at Kurt with a smile, gesturing for him to go sit down.

Kurt checked the time on his phone and sighed.

"Well, in that case, I think I'm going to leave now."

"What?" Dylan grumbled. "No, Kurt, it's early yet."

"I know, but I have to get home, clean up, do laundry... I've been away a whole day, and tomorrow I want to start working on an article and I won't have time. Adult life, you know." Kurt explained, although he had no desire to leave either.

Blaine smiled sadly at him and walked forward to give him a hug.

"Thank you for last night." He whispered to him, "and for today."

"You're welcome. It's been an amazing day." Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist and smiled againt his neck.

"Baby, it's okay. We'll see Kurt again." Nate said over Blaine's shoulder.

"But when?" Dylan complained. 

As soon as Blaine and Kurt pulled away, Dylan went to Kurt. 

"Give me your phone. I'm going to give you my number. If this guy causes you any trouble, call me. And if he doesn't, call me too."

Blaine rolled his eyes and grinned at his friend before sighing and looking back at Kurt. 

"He will bug me for it all year if you don't give him your number." He added a wink to let Kurt know he was only teasing.

Kurt laughed before unlocking his phone and handing it to Dylan.

"Here. I would have asked you for his anyway, Blaine, this is just the beginning of a great friendship." He smirked.

As soon as Dylan typed in his number, he handed the phone back to Kurt and threw himself into his arms.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, you're wonderful." He said, squeezing Kurt with all his might.

Nate laughed, and as Dylan released him, he wrapped his arm around Kurt's shoulders in a one arm hug and gave him a smile.

"I can walk him out." He said, and Blaine grabbed one of Kurt's hands and placed a kiss on it.

"I'll see you on Monday."

"Yeah, I can't wait." Kurt waved at Dylan and gave Blaine one last smile before walking out with Nate.

As the apartment door closed, Nate released Kurt's shoulders and gave him a real hug, holding onto him tightly. It reminded Kurt of the way his brother hugged him, warm and safe.

Nate's eyes were wet as he pulled away, and he turned away for a second to take a deep breath.

"Nate, is something wrong?" Kurt asked, a little confused after the hug.

Nate laughed a little sadly, wiping his eyes and sniffling a little. He gave Kurt a smile, but his eyes were still watery.

"You know, of all the years I've known Blaine, I've never seen him look at anyone like he looks at you." He explained, and put both of his hands in his pockets, "I'm not saying it to get a reaction out of you, or test you, or anything. It's just... he really scares me sometimes."

"Why does he scare you?" Kurt was still taking in what Nate had just told him, and he wanted to understand everything.

"You were here last night, weren't you? When he freaked out."

"Yeah, I was. Actually, we were at my place, but Blaine was out of his mind and kept saying he wanted to go home, so I brought him here."

Nate nodded in understanding.

"Dylan knows about it, but he's never actually seen Blaine freak out like that." He explained. "I was there after on the night it happened. Whatever you saw last night, that was only a freak out. He was worse back then. I thought I would have had to call the hospital and put him on suicide watch."

"Oh my god..." Kurt felt a sting in his heart. "I'm so thankful that you were with him."

"I worry about him, I do." Nate said as he sighed a little sadly, "he lived with us after that, and then he decided he had to move out. I was happy for him to leave Virginia, it wasn't the place for him anymore. It wasn't safe. And now...he has you. And even though I worry, I know he's safe with you."

Nate grabbed him into a hug again.

"I wanted to thank you. It means a lot to me that he has someone here for him."

Kurt tried to hold back his tears, but the emotion of what he went through last night with Blaine ended up taking its toll on him, and he cried as he hugged Nate back.

"I won't let anything bad happen to him, Nate, I swear. I don't know what's going to happen between us, but he's not alone." He said in a voice heavy with emotion.

Nate rubbed his hands over Kurt's back to soothe him, and trying to push some strength back into him. He turned his head and pressed a kiss to the middle of Kurt's forehead and then pulled away.

He held Kurt's shoulders as he looked down at him. He gave him a small smile as Kurt looked back up at him.

"I want you to know that while you're there for Blaine, me and Dyl will be there for you too. When you need a friend to listen, or someone just to laugh with, we're your friends too now."

"Thank you. It means a lot to me. I see why Blaine loves you so much." Kurt wiped away his tears and laughed. "Do you know that I got jealous when I found out that he went to Virginia to see you?"

Nate laughed as he nudged him.

"Don't worry your little head, Blaine was never my type." He said, and then gave Kurt a quick once-over, "you, on the other hand..."

He grinned cheekily, so that Kurt knew it was a joke.

"Very funny, Dylan will love to hear it." Kurt laughed before getting serious again. "I'm going to take care of him, and I know he will take care of me. We need each other."

"Yeah, just try not to let fear get in the way. Blaine's a good guy, and so are you. You both deserve something good." Nate winked and then turned to the door again.

With Nate's words in his head, Kurt said 'goodbye' to him and headed down the stairs.


	12. Chapter 12

It was dark. That's the first thing he noticed. 

And it smelled terrible.

It wasn't cold there, but for some reason a chill ran down Blaine's spine, a sensation that shook his whole body. Something was wrong, he knew that. 

He tried to look around to find out where he was, but he really couldn't see anything in the darkness around him. Fear started to take over his mind, a fear that was so deep down in his core that he felt like he had to throw up. 

He needed to get out of there, now. He could feel himself standing, but there was something that wasn't right, he couldn't feel his feet, he couldn't feel anything. As he stumbled around in the dark, he suddenly got the feeling that he wasn't alone. 

He tried to ask who else was there, but his mouth wouldn't open, fear keeping his voice shut tight inside. As he reached his hands out in front of him, he came into contact with something solid. But it wasn't a door or a wall, it was warm...almost hot to the touch. 

It was a chest. He could feel the muscle under skin and he tried to turn away and run, but his legs were frozen now, he couldn't move. Suddenly, there were hands on him. 

Hands that seemed to be everywhere all at once, touching his body, stroking him, digging into his skin, dragging roughly across his spine, and Blaine couldn't breathe. 

'No, please, let me go', he tried to scream, but his voice still wouldn't come out. Those hands were squeezing him and roughly stroking him harder and faster. It hurt, he could feel pain...a blinding sharp pain that broke through him. It started on his head, because his hair was being roughly yanked backwards, and his neck bent painfully as he tried to get away. 

Then the whispers started, whispers of his name that seem to come from every corner of this dark place. He didn't understand what was happening, he didn't know where he was. Pain flooded his back and then his stomach, and any second now he thought his neck might snap as he was pushed around and his hair was yanked harder. 

'No...stop!' He tried again, in pure agony, but his mouth wouldn't open. 'No, no...' 

"No, no!" Blaine yelled, sitting up off the couch. It took him a few seconds to know where he was, just as it took his breath to regain its normal speed. 

Blaine's face and chest were drenched in sweat, which made some curls stick on his forehead and his t-shirt cling to his skin. Panic set in and he looked around in the dark for something he could grab and hold. His eyesight cleared and he saw that he was alone in his living room, on his couch, in his apartment. 

Despite having calmed down a bit when he found out that it had been just a nightmare, fear and anxiety were still inside Blaine, and a part of him looked for Kurt, as if he was going to magically appear by his side and help him calm down, but he wasn't there. 

Kurt wasn't here. 

The ones who were there were Nate and Dylan, who had just appeared in the living room, having been jolted awake by Blaine's screams. They watched him as he then collapsed onto the couch and began crying into the cushion.

Dylan and Nate shared a horrified look, before Nate rushed over to Blaine's side on the couch and Dylan stood still for a second, just watching them. 

"Hey..." Nate started softly, not knowing if he should touch Blaine yet, because he didn't want to set his friend off on any freak outs, "Blaine...babe?"

"He... he was here... I..." Blaine said in a small voice, his words interrupted by his sobs.

"Baby...no, he's not here...we're here." Nate soothed again, keeping his voice calm even though he didn't feel calm, "Blaine, you know my voice...it's me. You know me. And you know I won't let him hurt you anymore."

Dylan remained quiet until he was needed.

Finally, Blaine raised his head and his eyes fixed on Nate's face. 

"Nate?" Blaine asked with a hint of hope in his voice.

Nate nodded and gave him a smile. 

"Yeah, it's me. I'm here, baby."

Blaine's trembling hand reached out to contact his friend's. 

"Why are you here? Where is Kurt?"

Nate squeezed his hand back a little, moving a bit closer to him now. 

"Kurt went home last night, after we had dinner, remember?" Nate explained still in a gentle voice, and on the inside he was calming down, "me and Dylan came down yesterday. It's 4am right now."

Gradually, Blaine's mind began to clear and what Nate said made sense to him. 

"Is Dylan here too?" Blaine turned his face to look for his friend.

"I'm here, angelcakes." Dylan said in a light voice, tilting his head with a smile.

Blaine held out his other hand to Dylan. Feeling them physically helped him not lose control. 

"It was a dream, right?"

Dylan bent forward to take his hand and placed a light kiss on it before placing Blaine's open palm on his face. 

Nate placed a gentle hand on Blaine's knee and smiled gently as Blaine calmed down. 

"Yes, it was a dream."

"Okay." Blaine nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'm so sorry, guys..."

Nate pressed his hand a little harder on Blaine's knee, not enough to hurt him but just to ground his friend in the moment. He leaned into his side, placing their shoulders together lightly, still not wanting to startle his friend. 

"You don't have to apologize, babe, you really don't. I understand, you know I do." Nate told him.

Blaine rested his head on Nate's shoulder, needing more contact. 

"I don't know why it keeps affecting me in this way... the dream was so real, I could feel how he touched me and..." Blaine couldn't continue speaking, just the simple memory of the dream made him want to throw up.

"We know." Dylan said empathetically, giving Blaine's hand another kiss, "we know, sweetie, you don't have to go through that again."

Nate released Blaine's hand and his knee and wrapped his arms slowly around Blaine's shoulders, leaning his own head against Blaine's.

Blaine immediately wrapped his arms around Nate's waist and leaned against him. He closed his eyes and tried to keep calm.

"I'm here, babe." Nate said gently, feeling how damp Blaine's t shirt was against his side, and turning to Dylan, "Dyl, could you go and get him another t-shirt, please?" 

Dylan smiled and nodded and stood up to go before Nate stopped him with 'one of mine', and he turned a grin at him before going in the bedroom.

"Nate, am I broken?" Blaine asked, his eyes still closed and not pulling away from his friend. "Is this thing going to haunt me my whole life? Because I thought I was okay, everything seemed better since I met Kurt and now... I'm going to lose him because of this, right?"

"Blaine, you're not broken," Nate said as he moved one hand and gently put it on the back of Blaine's neck, "you are a little bent...maybe even cracked, but not broken. These things just take time, and you know that." 

He moved his fingers into the damp curls on the back of Blaine's neck, moving them around his fingertips lightly. 

"And in regards to Kurt…" Nate let a smile grace his face, "he's not going anywhere. He's too far gone in his love for you, and this stuff is not going to affect his feelings."

Dylan walked back in to them with one of Nate's big t-shirts that he sleeps in, and put it over Blaine's leg, before taking his hand back again.

Blaine sat up to look Nate in the eye. 

"Do you really think that? Or it's because I just had an embarrassing moment in the middle of the night and you don't want me to freak out again?" He asked, a small smile on his lips.

"Blaine, you know I don't pander to your mental state." Nate teased him, "but yes, I really believe that you're not broken...but you still have quite a fight to go yet."

Dylan caught Blaine's gaze and smiled reassuringly at him.

"I can't believe you guys are here to see me for a weekend and I pay you back like this, I'm really sorry. Please go back to bed. I'm going to the bathroom to freshen up and change clothes and I'll try to go back to sleep."

Dylan stood up with his hands on his hips then. 

"Oh, no, you don't. You're going to change that damp shirt right here, so that I can go and put it in the laundry basket. I will go and get you a damp cloth to wipe your face, and then you are going to come to bed with me and Nate." He said sternly but kindly, and left no room for anyone to protest as he held his hand out for Blaine's t shirt.

Nate nudged Blaine to get up a little bit.

"No need, guys, really, I'm fine." Blaine tried to convince them, but since Dylan wasn't moving, he got up and took off his t-shirt, gave it to him and put on the one Dylan had brought him. "I'll sleep here."

Nate grabbed him around the waist gently, and laughed as Blaine tried to squirm out of his grip. 

"You think that little blonde harpy in there is going to let you out of this? Oh, no." Nate laughed a little as he had to manoeuvre Blaine's body to walk along in front of him, "it's either we all sleep on the bed or all sleep on the couch, and the bed is more comfy."

"Do you realize that you are dragging me through my own apartment?" Blaine tried to complain but ended up laughing, because deep down a part of him felt relieved and lucky for having such insistent friends who knew him so well.

"Well, I'm not dragging you, just guiding you." Nate smiled down at him, as they got to the bedroom door, "get in there." 

He let him go then and pointed to the bed.

Dylan appeared with a wash cloth, which was warm, and a glass of water.

"Drink, wipe, bed."

Blaine gave him a grateful smile and did just what Dylan said. He took a couple of sips of water, wiped the wash cloth over his face and walked over to the bed, lying right in the middle. 

"Thanks, mom." He said to Dylan, winking at him.

Dylan slipped back out of the room with a proud smile and Nate chuckled a little as he walked over to get in the bed beside Blaine, laying on his side and facing his best friend. 

"It's strange, you know, how nice he is to you and how horrible he is to me. And I'm his soulmate." Nate teased as he poked his shoulder.

"He is not horrible to you. I think he is physically incapable of being horrible to any human being."

"Probably." Nate said as he yawned and lay back on the pillow underneath, wriggling down and getting comfortable, "I spoke to Kurt before he went home."

Dylan came back into the room and gave them both a fond look before jumping over to the other side and sliding under the covers on Blaine's other side.

"What did you tell him?" Blaine asked, a concerned frown on his face. "I was expecting Dylan to say something inappropriate, but you too?"

Dylan's head shot up and he glared down at Blaine. 

"Hey!" He complained with a pout, and Nate cut off his reply. 

"I didn't say anything inappropriate, you can ask Kurt what I said. I just told him that I loved you and I was worried about you, and I'm glad you have him here to keep you safe." Nate explained with a gentle smile.

Blaine sighed looking at the ceiling. "Guys, I... I don't want him to make a decision because he feels forced to or wants to please anyone. If he decides to be with me, it has to be because it's what he wants."

Nate sighed as well and looked away. 

"I told Kurt to take his time, Blaine," he told him, "outside the restaurant. I told him he didn't have to rush anything because of us or you, and to ignore anything that Dylan said to him before that."

"Hey!" Dylan complained again as he glared across at Nate, "don't talk about me like I'm not here. I didn't tell Kurt to rush, I told him not to be afraid."

"He's allowed to be afraid." Nate argued, "I was."

"Why do I feel like in this story I'm Dylan and Kurt is you?" Blaine smiled briefly at Nate before yawning.

Nate and Dylan both laughed. 

"Neither of you can cook, so neither of you are like me and Kurt." Dylan commented before laying back down and putting his head on Blaine's shoulder. 

"I was terrified." Nate said in a small voice, which shocked Dylan into looking at him, "I didn't know what I wanted, I was scared of destroying a friendship with one of my best friends. I had to take my time."

"But it's only been three weeks since Kurt and I slept together, and I already feel like a part of me is ripped away every time I have to say goodbye to him. Isn't that absurd? I'd say I understand that he's afraid of ruining our friendship, but sometimes I'm with him and I wonder if we are really just friends." 

Blaine felt Dylan's hand on his and squeezed it.

Dylan smiled at him as Nate turned over and wrapped his arm over both of them, cuddling them all closer in the bed. 

"You are friends, but that doesn't mean there isn't something more to come." Nate whispered in Blaine's ear, as his head was now too close for normal level of voice, "being friends means that you connect without all the romance, it's better that way."

Dylan nodded on Blaine's other side.

Blaine yawned again and closed his eyes, suddenly feeling his eyelids very heavy. The warmth of Nate and Dylan against his body was comforting. 

"You're right. Thanks again, guys, for everything."

"No need to thank us." They both said at the exact same time.

"Ugh, you two are disgustingly adorable, stop it." Blaine laughed, snuggling closer between them.

They all laughed quietly together until it whispered off, and one by one they fell asleep.

******

Blaine and the guys got up late on Sunday. After what had happened the night before, they all needed to rest. While they ate breakfast, Blaine didn't bring up the subject of his nightmare so Nate and Dylan didn't either, although the two exchanged glances every so often, silently wondering if he was okay.

After talking about what they could do before they returned to Virginia, they decided to visit the MET. Nate had been there once many years ago and Dylan was excited to finally see it.

When they got there, they began to go through the different exhibits. There wasn't anything in particular that they wanted to see, so they just let themselves go.

"This is amazing, Blaine." Dylan said, gaping in front of one of the paintings. "I think if I lived here I would come every day."

"Well, I came here once when I first moved, but while you walk around alone, there's not a lot to do." Blaine said with a laugh, "it's better having others with you, I think."

"Maybe you should take Kurt with you." Dylan hinted, getting a nudge from Nate, who was walking beside him. "Ouch! Why did you do that?"

"You're doing it again, baby." Nate said.

"It's okay, you can talk about Kurt in front of me. I'm already falling for him and I know what we are to each other," Blaine said with a laugh as he watched Dylan glare at Nate, "I just don't want Kurt to think I'm being pushy."

"And you shouldn't be." Nate agreed with him.

"Please, I just told him to invite him to the MET, not to fuck him in the restroom or ask him to adopt a child. If it were up to you, people would never take another step."

"Whatever you say." Nate smiled, looking at the blueprint in his hand. "I want to see that sculpture for a second, don't go too far." He told them, going to the other end of the room.

"Dyl, don't get on to Nate, okay? I actually agree with him. I'm not going to ask Kurt for dates until he figures out his feelings." Blaine said as he watched his best friend walk away from them.

"Fine, I'll shut up."

They walked together in silence until Dylan spoke again.

"Blaine, I'm going to propose."

"What?" Blaine answered shocked, and his eyes went wide as he grabbed Dylan's arm and turned him to face him.

"I'm going to do it." Dylan confirmed, with a special twinkle in his eyes. "Not right now, you know I love a good show but I would never do it in the middle of a museum. I need to plan it well and find the perfect ring, but... I want to marry him, and I'm not going to wait my whole life until he decides to ask me."

"Dyl…" Blaine said softly with a smile, and then hugged him tightly, "that's amazing, man."

Dylan hugged him too, pecking Blaine's cheek before pulling away.

"It's going to be a big thing on our anniversary, in just over 2 months. Can I count on you and Kurt to come down that weekend?" 

"Yeah, definitely. I'm sure Kurt would be fine with it as well." Blaine exclaimed excitedly.

"Nate will say yes, right?" Dylan asked with a nervous smile.

"Of course he will." Blaine said quickly, reassuring Dylan, "he's not the most romantic man I know, but he won't reject you. He loves you so much."

"Can you explain to me why are you hugging at the MET?" Nate appeared at their side suddenly, causing them both to jump.

"Since you don't give me any affection and Blaine isn't dating Kurt, I'm considering making a trade." Dylan improvised and said the first thing that came to his mind, wrapping his arm around Blaine's waist.

"Kurt is hot, so I'm not going to complain." Nate teased, what made him get a punch from Dylan and a serious look from Blaine.

"Okay, no, we are not swapping soulmates." Blaine said seriously, but added a smile and a shake of his head before pushing Dylan back into Nate's arms, "besides, I think you would miss this little fireball."

"Yes, I would." Nate gave Dylan a quick kiss on the lips before wrapping his arm around his shoulders.

Dylan turned for a moment and winked at Blaine as he watched them silently, happy for his friends but wondering if he could have that with Kurt someday.

After leaving the MET, they decided on one small walk through Central Park before going back to Blaine's apartment, picking up some sandwiches for a quick lunch on the way back. Once they had eaten and spoken about nothing for a little while, Nate reminded them that it was time to start packing to go home.

Blaine was a little upset to say goodbye to his friends, but it took them 6 hours to get back to Virginia, so he knew they had to leave when they got back. It was already 1pm when they were packing up their things to go. 

He would miss them, he always missed them. He knew they would be there for him whenever he needed them, but this weekend had been like it always had been with them, like when he lived with them.

He was glad he had friends like those two.

"I hope you guys don't get stuck in traffic." Blaine said as he stood in the bedroom doorway, watching Nate pack the bags.

"Don't worry, I think we'll be lucky."

Nate closed his bag and turned to look at Blaine.

"You'll be fine?" He asked.

Blaine shrugged.

"Like I always am, right?" He answered with a smile, but it was far from happy.

"I'm offended that you're even trying to lie to me. I can call work, ask for a couple of days off and stay here with you." Nate said, walking over to him and putting his hands on Blaine's shoulders.

"No, Nate, I'll be alright. I'm just sad to see you guys leave." Blaine said as his tense shoulders relaxed under his friend's hands.

"You know you just have to call us and Dyl and I get in the car and come here, just like you will always have a place in our house. Although I know that you're not alone now." Nate smiled at him.

Blaine returned the grin, and nodded before pulling his friend into a hug.

"I know. I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too, babe." Nate replied, holding Blaine tightly in his arms. 

Dylan then came out of the bathroom and stared at them for a few seconds. When they parted, he ran to Blaine and almost jumped on him. 

"Call us, okay? If you need anything, you just have to say it."

"I will." Blaine said with a sad sigh as he hugged him back tightly.

"I'll be in touch with my new friend Kurt, so I'll find out anyway." Dylan laughed, kissing Blaine's cheeks several times before letting him go. 

"Don't listen to him. I'll restrict his phone if I have to." Nate said, slipping the bags over his shoulder and taking Dylan's hand. 

"You wish." Dylan stuck his tongue out at him.

Blaine grabbed both of them for one more group hug before letting go. 

"I'm glad you guys came down for me."

"Always, Blaine." Nate said, chuckling when he felt smashed into Dylan and Blaine's arms. 

"We love you so much, darling." Dylan gave Blaine another kiss before Nate had to push him away from him.

Blaine made a face as he swiped a hand over his cheek, faking a disgusted look at the kisses. 

"You better get outta here or I'll never let you leave." He said with a chuckle, walking with them over to his door.

"We'll send you a message when we get home." Nate assured him. 

"And good luck in the interview tomorrow! Let us know how it goes." Dylan added.

"I will definitely let you know how it goes. I'm getting nervous already, but I'm excited too." He told them honestly as they all walked to the car and Nate put all the bags on the back seat.

"Everything is going to be fine, Blaine, I'm sure." Nate smiled at him that smile of his that said so much more than words. 

"Of course. You're finally going to get the job you deserve." Dylan squeezed his hand before settling into the passenger seat.

Blaine smiled and blew a kiss to them both as he stepped back, waving at them both as the car backed out of the parking spot. 

"Drive safe!" He shouted to them.

Dylan waved back at him as Nate started driving down the street. Blaine waited until they were out of his sight to let his eyes fill with water.

******

Blaine was nervous. He woke up like that. 

He had a nice dream that night, about being with his friends and Kurt, with the whole family there. He couldn't really remember what had happened in the dream, only that he had felt safe and warm. 

But once his alarm went off and he realized it was Monday, the nerves started. He had the interview in the afternoon, and he still needed to go to his own work. He would get James to cover for him and have a long lunch break to get to the interview. 

As he showered and got dressed in a nice suit for today, he picked up his phone as he stuffed his mouth with a banana, and started tying out his regular Monday morning text to Kurt, like he promised. 

\- Good morning, sunshine. Is it pathetic to be this nervous? - 

As he waited for a reply, he started re-reading the clause for his own work place. The contract he had signed was only on a temporary basis, because his boss had told him when he started there that he would not trust his workers until after they had been working there for a year. 

As he read through, he realized there was a lot missing anyway. He didn't have to give any notice when he left the job or if they fired him, it could happen on the actual day. He felt better about that. He didn't want to risk quitting until he knew another job was secure. 

He heard his phone ping from where he had placed it on the table and picked it up with a smile, because he knew who it was.

\- Morning! Of course not, I would be offended if you weren't nervous about seeing me today. Oh shit, you meant the interview, right? ;P -

Blaine actually laughed out loud and could feel the nervous tension melting away at Kurt's reply. 

\- Ha ha, Hummel ;P -

\- You're laughing, it seems I achieved my goal. Seriously, don't be nervous, Blaine. You're gonna get it, I'm sure :) -

Blaine's face took on a more serious look, as his eyebrows furrowed. He knew he had talent at what he did. He had learned a lot at college about stylizing and had modern technology at home so that he could keep up with trends, and he always did his research for companies he worked for...but it didn't mean he would get it. 

Kurt's optimism was calming him down, but he still had to look at it logically. He had to be professional. 

\- Could we meet up after my interview? It's at 12:30pm, I don't know how long it will take but I may need to see a friendly face afterwards :) please? -

He bit his lip as he waited for a reply. It was a friendly request, right? It wasn't pushy.

\- As if you had to ask! Sure, and I'll be there to wish you luck too, even if you don't need it ;) -

Blaine blew out the breath he didn't know he had been holding at the reply. 

\- Okay, thank you so much. I have to get ready to go to my own work now, but I will see you at yours in my lunch break. I'll probably get there at 12:10. -

\- Good. Text me when you get there, okay? See you later :) -

\- See you soon x -

Blaine didn't regret putting a kiss on the end of the text, it was a friendly gesture. He often sent them to his friends too, although recently he hadn't been texting Dylan or Nate much. Just Kurt or his sister. 

Oh well, he would just take it as it goes. If Kurt put more into it then, he would explain it later, but he hoped that they were at that stage where text kisses wouldn't bother them.

He looked at the clock and decided he had to go, so he quickly grabbed his bag that had his examples in to show Julia later and walked out of his door.

******

Kurt changed his article for the umpteenth time that morning. Try as he might, he was having a hard time concentrating. He kept checking the time and thinking that Blaine was about to arrive. 

Blaine was actually going to have an interview to start working on the magazine with him... surreal as the situation seemed, Kurt was excited. 

He didn't know what it would be like to work together, but he cared a lot about Blaine and he knew how important it was for him to get another job. Kurt remembered his excited face on Friday talking about it, how his eyes shone and...

No, he had to stop. Kurt wasn't doing anything special for Blaine, he would do the same for any friend. Yes, of course he would. 

However, when his phone vibrated and he saw who the message was from, he couldn't stop his pulse from racing.

\- Hey, I just left the building. I'm on my way, should take me 10 minutes :) -

Kurt smiled before answering. 

\- Perfect! When you get here, take the elevator to the second floor, I'll be waiting for you there ;) -

\- Alright, see you very soon x -

Did he seem too excited? Well, he couldn't back down now, so Kurt got up from his desk and went to the bathroom. 

After looking at himself in the mirror and giving the go-ahead to his look, he walked over to the coffee machine and paid one for himself and one for Blaine. It wasn't the best coffee in the world, but he was sure Blaine would appreciate the gesture. 

When he had them, Kurt walked over to the elevator and stood there, waiting for Blaine. 

He had been there for a minute when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Kurt sighed, knowing who it was before turning around. 

"It's lunchtime. What are you doing here? Who are you waiting for?" Camille asked with a raised eyebrow. 

Kurt was about to make up an excuse, but what was the point? If Blaine started working there, she would end up meeting him anyway. 

"Blaine. He has an interview with Julia in a bit and I'm waiting to wish him good luck." 

"Are you kidding me? Blaine is going to work here?" She almost screamed. 

"Can you calm down, please?" Kurt snorted. He loved his friend so much, but he would like to be able to send her back to her desk right now. "It's just an interview, we don't know yet." 

"But it would be amazing, wouldn't it? I mean..." 

Then, the elevator doors opened and Camille didn't finish her sentence. She was too busy staring at Blaine with her mouth open.

Blaine smiled at Kurt as he stepped out, looking between him and the woman next to him for a second. 

"Hey, Kurt." He greeted and then turned to the woman next to him, who was just staring at him in shock, "who's this?"

He gave her a sweet smile anyway.

Before Kurt could answer, Camille took a step toward Blaine. 

"I'm Camille, it's really nice to meet you." Camille reached her hand out to Blaine, though from her face it looked like she'd rather throw herself into his arms. 

Kurt rolled his eyes.

"It's nice to meet you too." Blaine answered politely as he shook her hand, "so I get the welcoming party before I meet the boss, huh?" He laughed at the tease.

"Yes, but the party is about to end because Camille has to go to the dining room, right?" Kurt said, looking at Camille without giving her a choice.

When he saw that she wasn't moving, Kurt nudged her lightly, causing her to finally stop staring at Blaine. 

"Yes, sure, I have things to… eat." She blurted. "It was great meeting you, Blaine, good luck with the interview." 

Camille waved goodbye to Blaine and after giving Kurt a look that clearly meant "Oh my god", she left, leaving them alone. 

"I'm so sorry, sometimes she doesn't know how to behave." Kurt sighed and looked at Blaine, handing him one of the coffees. "This is for you."

"Thanks." Blaine took the cup with a smile, "I love meeting people though, she looks nice."

"She's great." Kurt admitted. "But I didn't think talking to her right now would help calm you down." 

It was then that Kurt realized that it had seemed he had shooed Camille away to be alone with Blaine. Shit, he hoped Blaine didn't take it that way. 

"Maybe I shouldn't have asked her to leave, I can go find her if you want."

"No, it's okay, I do really need to calm my nerves. That's why talking to you is helping." Blaine gave him a big smile, although you could tell he was nervous because of his eyes.

Kurt smiled back at him and since they were alone, he took one of Blaine's hands to try to reassure him. 

"Blaine, you're more than talented for this job and Julia is not going to let you escape. Just be yourself and know that i'll be in my office believing in you, okay? Everything's going to be fine."

Blaine squeezed his hand back and sent him a grateful look. 

"Thank you, Kurt, I mean it."

"You're welcome. And you look gorgeous, by the way." Kurt said, looking appreciatively how that suit fit him.

Blaine blushed a little as he did a little fashion model spin for Kurt with his arms out and then laughed. 

"Thought I would look the part."

"Trust me, you made the right choice." Kurt giggled before taking a sip of his coffee. "It sucks, sorry." He said, pointing to the cup.

Blaine made a face when he had a sip and then nodded. 

"Yeah, it's awful." Blaine laughed and then looked at his watch, "I'd better get going to the interview."

Kurt took the cup from Blaine's hand and threw both in the trash. 

"Break a leg, and smile. You can do it."

Blaine gave him a little nervous grin before asking which way to go, and when Kurt pointed it out, he gave him a wink and then walked away.

Blaine did not have to wait very long when he entered the waiting area outside of Julia's office. He was told to wait by the receptionist at the desk, who was actually giving him flirty eyes as well. Before he could even take a seat though, a lady opened the door to the office, gave Blaine a huge smile and asked him to come inside.

Blaine gulped down the feeling of nervousness and smiled politely back at her as he followed her inside, shutting the door behind him. Julia herself was a pretty woman, very feminine and petite, but there was a confidence that shone through in her walk. Her very presence screamed superiority.

She looked like a kind woman though, and even though Blaine knew that she was in her late 40's, she barely looked over 35, and he admired that. She wore a dark plum coloured blouse and a dark grey skirt, with medium heeled shoes that matched the blouse. She had dark, almost black hair and glasses hung on her nose.

Blaine stood awkwardly at the door, and she turned to regard him over her glasses and gestured to the chair in front of her desk.

"So Blaine Anderson, please have a seat." She gave him a smile and he returned it as he quickly sat in the chair.

"Thank you."

She sat in her chair behind her desk, and shuffled some papers out of the way so that there was nothing obscuring her view from him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm glad we had that discussion on the phone last week." She said to him and he nodded enthusiastically.

"Pleasure is all mine, Ms. Everrett. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you giving me an interview at such short notice." Blaine stammered out politely and she huffed a little laugh.

"Oh, it was no trouble, Blaine, and please call me Julia. I like my staff and myself to be on first name basis, it helps to build a better working environment."

"Okay, Julia."

"Great." She leaned forward, placing her hands on the desk, and openly observed him for a moment before taking a breath, "So I assume you have a portfolio of your work, and a resume for me?"

"Yes, I have my own stuff that I've worked on over the last 2 years, and my resume." Blaine began reeling off all of his achievements. He didn't do it to try and make himself look egotistical, he was just proud of everything he has accomplished, "but I also took the liberty of going through some old issues of 'Black and White' magazine, and made some changes that I wanted to show you. Not to brag, but I think it will please you."

As he handed her all of the right paperwork, she took it from him with a well manicured hand and then gave him a small chuckle.

"Bragging is allowed in my office, Blaine. Let's have a look." She skimmed her eyes over the papers in front of her, and Blaine sat silently while he watched her take a second look over some of them.

He knew some of his designs were a little modern, but he though the magazine was lacking a certain flair. He hoped she would see it as a compliment to her editing and design team and not as a bragging right. He wanted to make a good impression.

Her eyes lit up as she glanced over the remade issues of her own magazine that he had worked on, and she looked up sharply when she was done.

"These are incredible." She said slowly, and looking over them with appreciation one last time, "And how long did it take you to change it all?"

"Those two issues took me 4 hours a piece."

"My, my...you really are something." She said softly, more to herself than him, and he blushed a little, "something we have been missing here for some time."

"Thank you very much."

"When Kurt said you were skilled, I didn't want to jump on the band wagon right away, but from everything you've shown me here...you are very skilled indeed." She complimented again, and Blaine could feel the smile of pride making its way across his lips. "Where did you graduate?"

"George Mason University in Virginia, double majored in Graphic Design and Art and Visual Technology, and I lived there for 2 years afterwards. I moved to New York 6 months ago."

"Where do you currently work?" She asked with a raised eyebrow as she placed the papers carefully on her desk, all spread out so that she could look at all of them at once.

"Crygo Advertisements." Blaine said with a little disdain and she threw him a sympathetic look.

"Oh, you work for Emilio Hamilton. A right piece of work himself." She said with equal amount of despise in her voice and Blaine raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You know him?"

"Who doesn't?" She answered with a shrug and a smirk, "I assume he isn't very pleasant to work for?"

"Erm...well, I don't think it would be professional of me to slag off my current employer to my hopeful future employer." He said in an overly polite, non judgemental way, and she laughed.

"Very nice answer. I admire the respect you have for your superiors, it would do you well here." She reassured him and he let out a relieved little sigh, "Now down to the serious questions. What brings you to this interview today? Why do you want to work for us?"

"For one, I wanted a better work environment, and I don't have any real friends yet in the city, except for Kurt, and it would be great to work with a friendly face around. However, after looking into your company a little, I was intrigued by some of your articles."

"Our articles?" She asked suddenly curious.

"Yes, to be fair, what caught my eye the most was the amount of depth and thought that goes into every single piece written in it. You don't pretend to be 'telling people what they should be doing or wearing', but it's more about informing everyone to make choices tailored to them and their personalities."

"Yes, we try to incorporate real people into our visions, not everyone has the same tastes, we are all different." She said immensely proud of her impact, and Blaine nodded in agreement.

"Exactly, and I think it's a great message, and I would be happy to be apart of the process."

"Great. Do you have a criminal record I should be concerned about?" She asked a little more seriously, and he shook his head.

"No, I already have an in date record from when I signed with Crygo...here." He rummaged through his bag and quickly handed her the other database search that his current employer had handed him 4 months ago.

"Good, very good. You came prepared."

"Always." He smiled at her.

Julia placed all the documents and papers back into a neat little pile and handed them all back to Blaine. She waited until he had placed them in his bag before asking her next question.

"Tell me a little about yourself. Who is Blaine Anderson?"

"I'm hard working, literally, I could spend hours on a certain piece until I have it just right. I can be very stubborn when it comes to something I design and I will not change it to suit anybody else. I am a fast learner, ever since I was at college, I love learning new things. I'm gay, I'm 26 years old and I live in an apartment that has a view over Central Park, which I adore. I have one sister, she's older than me and she has two kids, whom I love with all my heart. I'm a real family orientated person. I'm not entirely all that into fashion trends myself, but I am willing and excited to learn. I suffer from anxiety sometimes, but hey, who doesn't? I'm honest and polite, I can work alone or as part of a team. I am a people person, meeting new people is the best thing in the world to me. And in high school and college I had a 5.0 grade average."

"Wow...honest to a tee." She said slightly intrigued about this man sitting in front of her, and he laughed a little.

"I like to have everything out in the open straight away."

"That's a very good quality. Never lose it." She said and pointed at him, and he saluted her which made her laugh again.

"Final question." She said as she leaned back in her chair, "Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?"

Blaine sighed quietly. This was the question Kurt said she would ask; he knew the answer straight away and thanked fate for having Kurt practice with him.

"Well...in 10 years, I hope to be running my own advertisement company, and it would be going really well. I would have made a lot more friends than I have today. I would be married to a wonderful husband and hope that we would be raising 2 or 3 children."

"You want kids?" She asked with a smile and he nodded.

"Very much."

"You seem like a great person, Blaine." She said after a pause, "you're honest, polite, smart, you have an amazing eye for design...I think you would be the perfect person for us to have."

"I...I got the job?" He asked a little hesitant and surprised.

She gave him a massive toothy smile.

"You got the job. Congratulations." She said to him as she leaned over to shake his hand and he grabbed hers immediately.

"Oh my gosh! Thank you so much." He said shaking her hand gently and then sitting back in his chair to place both of his hands over his mouth to contain his excitement.

"You're welcome. And thank you for being so well prepared, all of this is incredibly in depth."

"Well, I like to give a good impression." He said with a grin that he could not wipe off of his face, and he watched as her eyes lit up with excitement for him too.

"You went above and beyond that. I'm happy you'll be part of our magazine. Do you have to give a week's notice to your current employer?" 

"No, I went over the clause in my contract yesterday and this morning, double checking, and it doesn't have a week notice obligation on it. So I can start whenever you want me."

"Great. How about Wednesday?"

"Wednesday is perfect."

"Good. Chloe, my assistant, will make sure to meet you at the doors downstairs on Wednesday morning at 8am, to give you your pass and the codes for the doors, and show you your desk. You aren't required to wear suits, but you must be smart for work." She turned all business like as she rattled off instructions for him, and he made sure he was listening intently.

He still could not believe this was happening.

"Our office hours are 8am until 4pm. We will never ask anybody to work past that, although sometimes I will have a late meeting, but they don't take very long and everyone is usually out of here by 4:45pm at the latest. Lunch break is between 12:00 and 1:00pm. Does that all sound reasonable?" She asked and he nodded.

"Yes, absolutely."

"I will assign you to work on small pieces for the next month, and it will be a trial run to see how you get on. But after 30 days, if I'm happy with the way you are progressing, then I will welcome you full time with an exclusive contractual agreement."

"Sounds good."

She stood from her desk after nodding at everything now being complete, and walked around it as Blaine stood up too. He was grinning at her in such a way that it made her giggle a little. She gestured for him to follow her out and he grabbed his bag and walked to the door with her.

"It was very nice to meet you, Blaine."

"You too, Julia."

"We'll see you on Wednesday." She added as she held the door open for him and as he walked out, he turned to her with a nod.

"Yes, see you on Wednesday."

As soon as she closed her office door, he let out a small whoop to himself, making sure he was quiet. He was so excited he could scream, but he would save that for later. He headed towards Chloe and asked her where the lunch room was situated, she told him it was down the corridor to the right of them and he had to walk right down to the far side of the building.

As he walked, not ran, down that corridor, he could not wait to see Kurt and tell him the good news.

******

When he saw Blaine disappearing into Julia's office, Kurt decided it was a good time to have lunch. As he passed Camille's desk, he saw she was still there and thought he owed her an apology. 

"Can you forget that I was an idiot before and come have lunch with me?" Kurt asked, leaning over her. 

Camille sighed dramatically before looking at him. 

"Only if I can question you a bit about Blaine." 

"Fine." He accepted. 

They reached the dining room, where most of their co-workers were at that time, and sat down at one of the few free tables. As soon as they both got their food out and started eating, Camille decided to attack. 

"You didn't tell me he was so... wow." She started. 

"I told you he was hot." 

"Blaine isn't hot, he's a fucking fire. But in a cute way, you know? He's kind of too handsome to be real, but at the same time you want to do dirty things to him and..." 

"Cami, I get your point." Kurt popped some pasta salad into his mouth as he glared at his friend. 

"Don't be jealous. He's gay, right?" Camille replied. 

"So? That doesn't mean it's okay to ogle him, woman." 

Camille pretended to be offended for a second, but then she just shrugged. 

"Don't worry, I'll behave when we are co-workers. And if it makes you feel better, the only one he seemed to have eyes for is you." 

Kurt shook his head although he looked satisfied. 

"I hope he gets the job." He said. "His boss doesn't treat him well in his current company and this is a great opportunity for him." 

"Do you think that it will be easy for you guys to work together? I mean, you are friends with an obvious attraction that will spend hours in the same place. It sounds like a mess." 

"Thanks for the support, honey." Kurt grumbled. 

"I'm just being honest. He seems charming and I don't think he has a problem fitting in, but I hope you guys can handle the situation well." 

"We will." Kurt said nothing more and began to eat his salad in silence.

Camille gave him a sceptical look. 

"Kurt, you almost killed me for looking at him for more than 5 seconds, let me have my doubts." 

Kurt slapped his fork down on the table and glared at Camille. 

"Listen, Blaine and I know we have to be professional at work, okay? So..."

"Kurt!" A shout came from across the lunch room, making almost everyone jump at the sound, "I got it, I got it!" 

Blaine was running over to where Kurt and Camille were sitting, grinning excitedly.

"You got the job?" Kurt stood up and smiled at him.

Blaine literally tackled him in a hug and spun him around on the spot. 

"I did! I got it! And it's all thanks to you!" He said gleefully, before jumping onto Camille and hugging her too.

The moment Blaine put him down again, Kurt's huge smile disappeared. All the people in the dining room were staring at them, some were even whispering among themselves, and Kurt felt his whole face burn. 

"Congratulations!" Camille said, lovingly returning Blaine's hug. If she was aware of everyone's stares, she obviously didn't care.

"Thank you," Blaine said almost breathlessly now as he released her, "i'm going to be working here, can you believe that?"

Kurt took a deep breath and focused on Blaine. His joy was contagious, so he decided to ignore the rest of the world for a while. 

"I knew you would get it. I'm proud of you, I really am. When do you start?"

"I start on Wednesday." Blaine said with a grin, proud of himself and then a look of horror took over his face and he looked at his watch, "shoot, I gotta get back to my own building or they'll fire me before I can quit." 

He gave Kurt one last hug before running back to the door of the dining room, but he turned to look at some other people sitting around a table.

"See you all Wednesday, future co-workers!" He exclaimed loudly, and then he disappeared.

Kurt stood where he was, staring at the door Blaine had just left through. Camille's laugh brought him back. 

"He is amazing, I already love him." She claimed. 

Kurt sat next to her, knowing that some of his co-workers were still staring at him. 

"Yeah, he is."

"Why aren't you happier?" Camille asked curiously. 

"What? No, I'm very happy." Kurt said sincerely. "Since I heard Julia talk about the position I haven't thought of anything else, I needed Blaine to get it and see him that ecstatic. It's just that... everyone was looking at us." He confessed. 

"And? Since when do you care what other people think?" 

"I don't know, since… forever?" Kurt pointed as if it were crystal clear. "They're our co-workers, I don't want them to make assumptions." 

"I assure you that nobody thought anything. You are just making strange ideas in your head." Camille smiled at him, trying to play down the situation. 

Kurt sighed before finishing his salad. After blowing Camille a kiss, he headed back to his office. Maybe his friend was right and he was thinking too much about it. It had only been a hug. A big and loud hug.

"Hey, Kurt?" A voice called behind him as he reached his door.

"Yeah?" Kurt turned and smiled politely at Myles, one of his co-workers. They didn't talk much, but he was always nice to him. "Hey, Myles. Can I help you with something?"

"I just wanted to ask…" Myles said with a small smile, "that guy in the lunch room today? Me and some of the girls were wondering if he was your boyfriend?"

Kurt felt like a bucket of ice water was being thrown over his head. He wasn't even consoled by the fact that he was actually right, everyone was talking about him and Blaine in the dining room. And not only that, but now one of them was at the door of his office asking him about it. 

Kurt opened his mouth to answer, but closed it and opened it again until he knew what to say. 

"Oh, I… well, I have to say I'm surprised to be asked that by someone who has never cared about my private life, but no, Blaine and I are just friends." Kurt replied, with more coldness than he intended.

Myles had a guilty look on his face and put his hands up.

"I didn't mean any offense. We just saw him hug you and stuff, and just assumed...sorry."

"Maybe you should stop assuming things and work more, as I am about to do right now. Have a nice day." 

And without further ado, Kurt closed the door. When he slumped into his chair, all the confidence he had shown a second ago seemed to have evaporated. He couldn't let that happen again. Things with Blaine at work were going to have to be different, for the good of both of them.


	13. Chapter 13

Blaine could not contain his excitement. It was Wednesday already, and he couldn't wait to get to work. On Monday afternoon he had returned to work after the interview and quit his job, and heard his boss shouting profanities at him as he walked out of the door.

He had text Kurt immediately and told him, and Kurt's reaction was instant joy. He had sent Blaine a text that held so much excitement and so many emojis that Blaine had been astounded. He didn't think Kurt was as excited about it as Blaine was, because Kurt already worked there, but after spending most of the day receiving supportive and caring texts from Kurt about how amazing it would be, he was starting to believe that Kurt couldn't wait until Wednesday either. 

They would be the best team. Blaine was a hard worker, and Kurt wrote great articles. He had woken himself up extra early this morning to get his outfit for the day ready. It consisted of a simple dark green shirt, a black shiny tie and black pants with new oxford shoes he had bought on Monday afternoon. 

He thought he looked pretty appropriate for working in a successful and auspicious place like 'Black and White'. 

While having a fruit salad for breakfast and a cup of warm strawberry and mint tea, which was his favorite after coffee, of course, he sat on his couch and texted Kurt.

\- So, I think I look good enough for work today. Do you agree? :) -

He sent along an attached image of himself where he sat on the couch, making sure to smile widely at the lens. He hoped Kurt would say it was good for today.

\- It's not fair that you look that good in the morning. Ugh, if I wasn't so proud of you, I would hate you ;P -

Blaine couldn't stop the blush and the grin. 

\- Kurt, you say the sweetest things to me :P -

\- I just said the truth. You look amazing and you're gonna do great today. I know :) -

\- Thank you! I'm so excited that we're working together XD -

Kurt's response took a little longer than normal. 

\- Yeah, me too. I don't know if we'll actually work together, Julia will probably keep a special eye on you at first, but you don't need me to amaze her ;) -

Blaine bit his lip a little, unable to keep the smile off of his face. 

\- Yeah, she already told me I'll have eyes on me for a while, but at least we can have lunch together, right? :) -

Blaine glanced at his watch and then moved off of the couch, grabbing his jacket and then making sure everything in his apartment was off before walking out of his door. 

As he was walking towards his car, his phone pinged again.

\- I'll try, but I'm really busy these days. We'll see, okay? x -

Blaine frowned a little at the text as he got into his car and started the engine. He was hoping for a positive text, a 'yes' for lunch because Kurt was the only person he would know there, and he didn't really want to hang out with anyone else unless he was forced to.

Not that he was against making work friends, quite the opposite. Blaine loved meeting new people, but having a friendly face with him would be a great way to break ice with his co-workers. 

\- Okay, well, I hope we can x Have to drive to work now, so I'll see you later? -

\- Yeah, see you later. Drive safe :) -

When Blaine found a place to park that was a street away from the building, he walked the short way to the front door, where he could see Chloe, Julia's assistant, waiting for him inside with a smile. 

She held out her hand as he came closer. 

"Hi Blaine, I'm Chloe. I'm here to give you a short tour of where you will need to go during work hours." She said in a friendly and polite way, but Blaine didn't miss the way her eyes moved over his shirt, "and to give you this."

She moved to push a plastic card, which was his work ID, into his hand and he looked at it with a smile before giving her the handshake she was still waiting for.

"Nice to meet you, Chloe, it's very nice of you to lead me around." He answered and she gave him a sunny looking smile before gesturing for him to follow her to the elevator at the end of the hall.

Once they were on the 3rd floor, she led him down the short hallway to the right and then into a room which already had several people inside, including Julia. She smiled brightly when she saw him, gave his outfit an appreciate look which made Blaine a little uncomfortable but then she placed her hand on his shoulder and moved him into the room. 

There were at least 6 women and 2 men in here. Julia introduced him to all of them, they all had smiles and all shook his hand while he tried to commit their names to memory. Hannah red head, Emily blonde with glasses, Courtney blonde without glasses, Michelle brunette and very short, Jonathan tall guy with dark hair, Amir Indian guy with a bright smile, Faye black curly hair that made Blaine's look tame and Jackie the oldest looking lady there.

"Now, Blaine, let me give you a run down of how things go around this area." Julia said while pulling him to the farthest wall, where there was a huge white board covering the whole wall and all types of sheets of paper and things stuck to it, "this is the 'Idea Wall', where we all collectively draw, print, make ideas for the next issue and then after every week, we go over what's usable and what isn't."

Blaine nodded, that was a very complicated looking amount of ideas on one wall. Julia pulled him over to his desk and made him sit in the chair, which was way more comfortable than the one he had before. She placed a sheet of paper down in front of him that Jonathan handed her, and Blaine could see his details and a password.

"Now, the way we do things." Julia explained. "So that everyone is accountable and credit is due to each individual that works on the magazine, there are accounts for everyone here, with your details in and a personal password that I want you to change as you log in."

She went on to explain the programs they used, which was a lot like his last job so Blaine already knew how to use the technology, but he didn't interrupt. He was expected to just take time to make his account today and learn about things, and then tomorrow at work Jonathan, the head graphic designer, will be instructing him on what parts of the projects he will be taking on.

"Did you get all of that, Blaine?"

"Yes, I did." He nodded enthusiastically at her and she gave him a proud smile as she squeezed his shoulder and then turned to everyone else.

"Now, everyone make sure that Blaine has help for the rest of this week and we'll see what he's capable of." She winked at him and then waved goodbye to everyone before turning back at the door, "oh, Chloe will show you around the rest of the building for the next 30 minutes and then you can come back here and get to work, okay?"

Blaine nodded again.

"Okay."

She disappeared and then everyone was talking to Blaine all at once, asking him questions, although the girls' questions were more personal and he politely tried to answer all of the ones that he could, friendly declining the ones that were a little too much for a first meeting. Jonathan told the girls to start their work, which Blaine was relieved about and Chloe motioned from the door to tell him to follow her.

She led him back to the elevator and then pressed floor 2. Great, he thought, Kurt's floor. Maybe he would get to say 'good morning'.

******

Kurt liked working with his teammates; he was always willing to give a helping hand to whoever needed it, even if he was not the most patient person in the world.

So when Heather, one of the junior editors and a complete computer wreck, asked him for help, he took a deep breath and put on his best smile before saying 'yes'.

Kurt had already told her more than once that for things related to editing programs it was better to notify the IT department, but Heather had a special admiration for Kurt since she started working there, so she always went to him.

And there he was, leaning over Heather's desk in the central area of the floor, where those who didn't have their own offices yet worked, while she looked at him for the fourth time with a terrified face.

"Really, it's easier than you think, Heather. I know the program hangs sometimes, but you can't go crazy and shut down your computer when that happens."

"Sorry, I always panic." She apologized.

"Don't worry. I have to go back to my office now, but..."

Chloe's voice distracted him and immediately Kurt tensed. He knew that if Chloe was there, so was Blaine, because she had to give him a tour of the company that morning.

He raised his head and there they were. Despite keeping an eye out for Chloe, Blaine had seen him and didn't hesitate to wave and mouth 'Good morning' to him, but Kurt wasn't the only one to notice. Heather had raised her head as well and was looking at Blaine curiously. Well, curiosly and as a thirsty hiker looks at a stream. And yes, Kurt was sure she had seen Blaine waving him, because as soon as she recovered from the shock, she turned her head to look at Kurt.

No, please, not someone else asking about him, Kurt thought. So he did the only thing he could think of: he lowered his gaze and pretended he hadn't seen Blaine.

"You know what? I didn't say anything." Kurt sat next to Heather, suddenly interested in her computer screen. "I'm going to explain this to you again."

"But..."

"Heather, we can't waste all morning on this, stay tuned." Kurt said in a more formal tone, and he managed to get her attention back.

As Kurt repeated the guidelines to her, he felt Chloe and Blaine pass behind them and continue their way through the floor. Then, he let out the air that he had unknowingly been holding, although he couldn't help but feel awful.

He had just ignored Blaine and hated that feeling. 

"Kurt, are you okay?" Heather asked. "You have suddenly become silent." 

"Yes, I'm fine. Come on, open the program and I'll supervise you."

Kurt helped Heather for a while longer before heading back to his office. When he got in there, he had to resist the urge to text Blaine and apologize. 

He had to convince himself that he was doing it for the good of them both... he just hoped Blaine understood.

******

Blaine was confused.

He smiled at Chloe as she left him after the tour of the place, telling him that if he had any questions she would be on the 2nd floor outside Julia's office to help him.

Blaine would have sworn that Kurt had seen him when he had waved a greeting at him. But maybe he had been mistaken, maybe Kurt wasn't looking at him. He didn't seem to see him, he was busy talking to a blonde girl at her desk. But he shrugged it off; he'll catch up to Kurt later.

"So..." A voice to his left said as he sat in his chair at his newly appointed desk, and Blaine turned to Jonathan, whom he had met this morning, "I keep hearing rumors about you and Mr. Kurt Hummel on 2nd floor of the editing team. Is it true he helped you get the job?"

The question was friendly enough, and Jonathan's gaze was curious and not malicious or unfriendly, so Blaine just smiled and answered.

"Yes, he did. He's been a really great friend to me lately."

Jonathan raised an eyebrow.

"So you're not a thing?" He asked.

Blaine shook his head.

"No, we're not. He just knew that I was in a tight spot at my previous employment so he helped me get the interview, that's all." Blaine explained, and Jonathan nodded in understanding.

"It must be nice to have a friend to rely on in a work place like this." He said with a sigh, "I wish I had had that when I first started here."

"Do you not enjoy the work?" Blaine asked curiously and Jonathan laughed a little.

"Oh, I do, it's not that." He said with a wave of his hand, "it can get pretty intense around here sometimes, so I've learned over the time I've been here to rely on my colleagues to help me, but at the start all I wanted was someone I could talk to about it."

Blaine nodded. He understood that. It was a big step moving to a new work place with nobody around. He had been through it twice already.

"I get it."

"So, what are you doing for lunch break? Me, Amir and the girls all sit together. You can join, coz you're part of our team now."

Blaine smiled in appreciation.

"That's really kind of you. I'll have to see, because I had plans to eat lunch with Kurt and catch up on my first day, but if he's too busy, then sure."

Jonathan patted his back a little.

"Great, well, I hope you do sit with us. We need more guys on our table." He laughed with a wink and then moved back to his desk.

Blaine turned back to his computer and input all of his information and password that Julia had given him earlier, logging into his online account and then opening several starting pages of documents she wanted him to check over today.

He saw a pair of blue eyes looking at him across the room over the top of his screen and looked up briefly, catching Courtney giving him a smile and he gave her a friendly smile in return before turning back to his documents. 

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here, so far everyone seemed friendly. He would have to hope he can talk to Kurt later and ask for information about some of them.

******

Blaine entered the dining room with the rest of the guys and girls from his team. He already had gotten along with most of them and had a short discussion with some of the girls about the information he had to put into his company account, so he was still feeling pretty relaxed now.

As the rest of the team went to the regular table and took out their lunches, Blaine looked around for Kurt for a second. He wasn't around, maybe he really was busy. Blaine sighed a little as he turned to go and sit with his team, but then he spotted Kurt's work friend Camille, who he met on Monday. 

He smiled as he walked up to her and sat next to her. 

"Hey, Camille." He greeted with a friendly grin.

"Hey, Blaine." She looked at him with a big smile. "How is your first day going?"

"It's going pretty well. All of the guys on my floor seem really friendly. And I understand the system already, so I think it will go well. How's your day?" He asked after explaining, taking his chicken sandwich out of his bag.

"That's great, I'm glad they didn't make you want to run away right from the start. If someone gives you any trouble, you just have to tell me." Camille winked at him as she sipped her soda. "My day has been pretty quiet, actually, but I'm not going to say it too loud, I don't want to jinx it."

Blaine laughed before taking a bite of his sandwich, making sure he swallowed before asking his next question.

"Don't take offense at the question, I love sitting and talking to you, but do you know where Kurt is? I was hoping to see him at lunch today." He asked, trying not to sound too put out by Kurt's absence and not making it seem like she wasn't good company because she was, but he had to know.

"Oh, it's okay. If it was my first day in a new place, I would also want to have lunch with my friend." She gave Blaine an understanding smile. "I haven't seen him at all this morning, but he should be here by now."

"Oh." Blaine said trying not to sound disappointed, "he did text me this morning that he might be too busy. But if you see him later, would you tell him that I'm enjoying my first day and to text me later?"

"Of course, I'll tell him." Camille finished her soda before getting up. "Actually, I can talk to him right now, because I've been here longer than I should have. Do you mind if I leave you alone? I can stay 5 more minutes." She asked, placing her hand on Blaine's shoulder. The gesture was totally innocent, without ulterior motives. She really liked Blaine.

"Oh no, I don't mind, I can just go with the guys over there if you need to go. Jonathan invited me this morning." Blaine said giving her hand a pat, before getting up with his lunch, "I should probably get to know my team, huh?"

"I guess so. I'm sure you'll have them all wrapped around your finger in a couple of days. See you, Blaine." She waved him goodbye and headed for Kurt's office.

Blaine watched her go with a smile before looking over at the table where the other guys were sitting. He didn't know if he should just walk over after refusing to at the start, but he saw Jonathan beckon him over with a smile, as well as Hannah and Courtney, and he blew out a relieved sounding breath before heading over and taking a seat.

******

Kurt sipped his coffee as he was typing on his computer before getting up to throw the remains of his grilled chicken in the trash. 

He had decided to have lunch in his office to avoid Blaine and another awkward situation, but he had barely been able to eat anything. Thinking that he had left Blaine having lunch alone on his first day had been cruel and cowardly, but Kurt didn't want to have the stares of all their co-workers on them.

When he heard a knock on his door, Kurt smiled. Maybe it was Blaine and he could talk to him alone. 

"Come in." He said.

Camille poked her head around the door and smiled at him.

"Hey, I was wondering where you got to." She said curiously, "did you have lots of work to do?"

She walked inside and shut the door gently behind her.

"Hey." Kurt said, trying to hide his disappointment. "No, not really, but I was writing something and got held up. Why?"

"Oh, just wondered why you would leave that precious little cupcake alone in the dining room on his first day." She said almost too innocently, but her eyes held a little fire as she asked.

"Did you see Blaine? Was he okay?" Kurt asked a little too eager.

She crossed her arms and narrowed her gaze at him. 

"You could have seen it for yourself if you had been there to talk to him." She said, and then sighed, "but yes, he's enjoying his first day. He's already making friends, he told me to tell you."

"Oh, really? That's... that's great." Kurt smiled at Camille, trying to ignore the jealous sting he had just felt. "And I have my reasons for not having gone to the dining room, don't judge me."

"I think at least a little judgement is in order here." She said with a light hearted glare, "Kurt, you told me you were excited for him to work with us here, so I don't understand why you're hiding. Does it have anything to do with people staring on Monday?"

Kurt sighed and met his friend's gaze. Camille knew him too well. 

"I don't want anyone to think he's here because of me. He's so talented and doesn't need any whispering behind his back... and neither do I."

"But he is here because of you, babe." She said with a small comforting smile, as she walked up to him and gripped his hand, "you were being a good friend to him, that's all. Anyone who has a problem with that, they can screw themselves."

She laughed with him and nudged him with her elbow.

"Besides, it wouldn't be a magazine editorial building without some rumors and gossip, right?"

Kurt laughed lightly but got serious again. 

"I know what it's like for people to look at you and talk about you, and it's a time of my life that I prefer to leave in the past. I've always loved the work environment here and I don't want it to change, so while the rumors continue I'll have to keep my distance, even if it hurts." 

And it hurt. A lot.

"Then maybe you should tell Blaine about that decision." She said with a sympathetic look, "so that he knows what you're doing, and why."

"He just started working here, Cami, I don't want him to worry. You said he wasn't alone, so I feel a little less guilty."

"I get it, I do." She said with a sigh, "but don't you think it would worry him more having no explanation?"

"I'll talk to him at some point, okay? I promise. But not today." 

In fact, Kurt was looking forward to getting off work so he could text Blaine like nothing happened and make sure he was okay.

Kurt's phone pinged and interrupted her as she was about to reply, and she looked over at it with a smirk. 

"Maybe that's him." She said hopefully, and then walked back towards the door, "I gotta get back to work, babe, but I'll speak to you later."

"Okay. And Cami?" She turned before leaving the office. "Thank you."

She winked at him with a smile as she walked out.

Kurt watched Camille leave and quickly reached for his phone, expecting to see Blaine's name on the screen. But for the second time in a few minutes, he was disappointed. 

The message was from Finn.

\- Hey, Kurt. I know you're at work, but if you get a minute, will you call me, please? It's important x -

Since he had spent his lunch break working, Kurt thought he could take a few minutes to call his brother. He dialed the number and waited.

"Hey, bro." Finn answered sounding a little out of breath.

"Hey, Finn. What's wrong?" Kurt frowned, fearing the worst. Finn only ever texted him during work hours when something happened, so he worried for his father, and his niece and nephew.

"I got a call from Brooke's office, I have to leave to go and pick her up because she's not well. Would you be able to look after the kids after work for a little while? I'm going to take her to the doctor." Finn explained and Kurt almost let out a sigh in relief, which he felt terrible about afterwards.

"Yes, of course, don't worry about it. As soon as I get off work, I'll go to your house and take care of the kids. Did they tell you what happened to her? Is it serious?"

"I don't really know. She told them she felt a little faint, and then she was throwing up so I need to go and get her checked out." Finn said with a little worry in his voice.

"Sure, go get her right now. I'll be there soon, okay?" 

Despite being worried about his sister-in-law, Kurt knew that Finn must be terrified, so he tried to reassure him. 

"Brooke is going to be fine, Finn, it's probably just something she ate. She's stronger than you and I together."

"I know, I know." Finn said a little amused, "I need to go. I'm in the car, but I'll see you later."

"Okay. See you later, bro."

When Kurt hung up, he thought about going to find Blaine and tell him that his sister wasn't well. But then he thought better of it, because if he barged in to tell Blaine some bad news, then he would distract Blaine on his first day and probably start off the rumors again. No, he would just hope that Brooke or Finn would tell Blaine if it was serious. 

Kurt sat back down in his chair and sighed. Today was being frustrating. He only hoped the rest of the week went by quickly.

******

Kurt parked in front of his brother's house and quickly got out of the car. He had left work on time to get there as soon as possible, even though he hoped that Brooke was okay and not to find a worrying situation.

He came to the door and knocked.

When Finn opened the door, he gave Kurt a quick smile but then disappeared, leaving the door open as he ran back down the short hallway and back into the living room.

Kurt got in and followed his brother into the living room. There he saw the kids playing peacefully on the floor and Finn helping Brooke up from the couch. She was pale and her face was covered in sweat.

"Hey, do you need help?" Kurt walked over quickly and stood on the other side of Brooke. "How do you feel?"

Brooke smiled up at him a little, but she clung onto Finn like her legs didn't work. 

"I'm okay, just feel a little tired." She answered as proud as ever, but Finn grunted as he held most of her weight.

"You look like crap, sweetheart." He said to her and she gave him a light glare, "I mean that with as much love as possible."

"Don't tell her that." Kurt scolded his brother, but he finally shrugged. "He's right though."

Brooke rolled her eyes, but the move only made her dizzy and she gulped, trying to hold back the feeling of wanting to vomit again.

"Thank you both very much." She said slowly, and then looked up at Finn with a very pointed look. 

He seemed to understand and brought her quickly to the kitchen where there was a bowl on the counter, especially for her to puke into. And she did, coughing and sputtering as Finn held her there, supporting her and holding her hair out of her face.

Kurt sighed and went to the bathroom, where he dipped a towel in cold water. Then he headed to the kitchen and looked at Brooke worriedly, trying not to look disgusted. The smell of vomit always made his stomach turn.

"Here, put this on her forehead." He said, handing the wet towel to Finn.

Finn smiled his thanks as he took it and placed it on Brooke's forehead lightly, and she sighed as she stood back up. Finn watched her with worried eyes before he turned to Kurt.

"We have to go to the doctor's office now, so..." Finn gestured to the kids in the living room, "they already know that Mommy is sick so we have to go. But would you try not to make it a big deal for them? I don't know how long we'll be out."

He rubbed the cool towel over Brooke's face after that, and then moved her to the sink so that she could rinse her mouth out and have a sip of water.

"Don't worry, I plan to keep them distracted. I can stay for as long as you need."

Kurt walked them back to the living room.

"Finn, text me as soon as you know anything, okay?"

Finn nodded at him before picking his wife up bridal style as she clung onto his neck and then grabbing his keys and phone before walking out the door.

Kurt watched them get into the car before closing the door and returning to the living room with the kids.

"My, my, who's too entertained playing to give their uncle a kiss?" Kurt smiled at them.

They both looked up from the floor and smiled widely at their uncle. Anna got up to go and give him a hug and a kiss as he bent down to her, and Jack toddled after her, clinging to Kurt's leg.

"Mommy isn't very well, Uncle Kurt." Anna said with a serious voice, "Daddy said she needs a doctor."

Kurt's phone pinged with a message in his pocket.

"She's going to be fine, sweetie, your mom is the strongest person I know. But sometimes we eat something and it hurts our tummy. Did it ever happen to you? Is there something in here now?" Kurt said, starting to tickle Anna's belly. "And in here?" Then he turned to Jack and began to do the same, giggling as he heard the two kids scream with laughter.

Kurt decided to give them a truce and stood up. 

"I'm going to fix you some snack, okay? I'll be back now." 

He went to the kitchen and started making a couple of sandwiches while he took his phone out of his pocket to read the message.

From Blaine:

\- Hey, I missed you at work today :( thought I would see you x I hope your work wasn't too hectic. -

Blaine had missed him. Jeez, Kurt felt like he was a horrible person, but he couldn't stop to think about it now.

\- I'm so sorry, I had a lot of work. But how was your first day? A little bird told me that it was pretty good ;) -

\- Yeah, it was a lot to take in, but it went well. At least I had one face I recognised at lunch time ;P -

\- And it's a good face, except when she gets angry lol By the way, I have to tell you something, but I don't want you to worry, okay? I'm taking care of the kids now, Finn took Brooke to the doctor. -

Blaine didn't text back right away. Instead, the phone screen flashed up that he was calling.

"Hey. I told you not to worry." Kurt said, although he knew he would have done the same thing.

"She's my sister, Kurt, if I told you the same about Finn, wouldn't you worry?" Blaine said, his voice full of concern.

"I know, I'm sorry." 

Kurt picked up the plate with the two cheese sandwiches he had just made and headed for the living room. 

"But she's fine, just a little pale and vomiting. She must have eaten some bad food."

Blaine blew out a breath against the phone.

"Oh, okay. I'll erm...text Finn and ask how she's doing and what the doctor says." Blaine stammered out a little, "thanks for telling me."

"You're welcome. I said the same to Finn, but they just left, so it will take a while."

Kurt knew that Blaine was worried, and after what had happened at work he felt he should try to cheer him up. 

"Although I have two little people here who sure want to greet you." 

Kurt put his phone on speaker. 

"Guys, say 'hi' to Uncle Blaine!"

"Hi, Uncle Blaine!" Anna and Jack shouted together, although Jack changed it to 'Bane'. 

"Uncle Blaine, are you going to come and look after us with Uncle Kurt like last time?" Anna asked curiously.

"Hey, guys! Oh, princess, I don't know...maybe another time, huh?" Blaine said and Anna's face turned down in disapointment until Blaine said, "maybe Uncle Kurt and I could take you guys to the zoo or the park next time?"

"Zoo!" Anna shouted, as Jack said "park!"

"But for that to happen, you two have to be good now. And you and I have to talk, miss, since it seems that I'm not enough for you and you have to ask Uncle Blaine to come too." 

Kurt tenderly ruffled his niece's hair, who just giggled, before turning off the speaker and bringing the phone to his ear again. 

"I let you talk to them for a second and they've already managed to get something out of you." He smiled.

"They always do, I can't help it." Blaine chuckled, "I'll probably be the same with my own kids."

Kurt felt a sudden warmth in his chest just thinking of Blaine with his own chidren. 

"I'm sure you will." Kurt bit his lower lip. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Blaine said with a small sigh, "I'll let you get back to the little devils. Speak to you later, Kurt."

"Okay. She's going to be fine, Blaine, but I'm here if you need anything."

"Thanks. Bye, Kurt."

"Bye."

Kurt put his phone back in his pocket and turned to the kids, who were eating their sandwiches. 

"Well, so what were you playing when I got here?" He said, sitting on the floor with them, determined to keep them distracted until their parents came back home.

******

A couple of hours later, Kurt was still with the kids waiting to hear from Finn. Jack had fallen asleep, so Kurt laid him down on the couch and threw a blanket over him before scooping Anna up. 

"We're going to keep playing at the table, but we have to speak softly so as not to wake up your brother, okay?"

Anna nodded, and at that moment Kurt's phone pinged.

From: Finn 

\- Hey. How's things there? Hope the kids were good for you. We're on our way back now. I'll explain when I get there. -

"Oh, Mommy and Daddy are already on their way." Kurt told Anna before answering. 

\- The kids and I are fine, but I hate when you get cryptic, Finn. Is Brooke okay? At least tell me that. -

\- She's fine, it's just the stomach flu. She'll be okay in a couple of weeks, but she needs a lot of rest. I'll explain more when we're home xx -

Kurt smiled in relief. 

\- Great, see you soon. Oh, and let Blaine know, he was really worried about her. -

\- Blaine's been on and off of the phone for almost the whole time since we left. He knows. -

\- Okay x -

About 20 minutes later, the front door open and Finn walked in holding a pharmacy bag filled with medication and holding Brooke's hand as she walked in behind him.

She looked a lot better than when she left, and her and Finn both had relieved looks on their faces.

"Hey, guys." Kurt got up and went to Brooke to give her a quick hug. "You feel better, don't you?" 

Anna ran after Kurt and Finn scooped her up as soon as she reached them.

"Been good for your Uncle Kurt, babycakes?" Finn said as he cuddled his daughter and Brooke smiled at her before answering Kurt. 

"Yes, much better. Although I didn't expect the flu." She laughed as she shared a look with Finn. 

"Well, as the doctor said," Finn reminded her, "you need a lot of rest to get the sickness under control."

"I'm glad to know. Just let my brother take care of you these days. And the little monsters too." Kurt stuck his tongue out at Anna. "Jack is asleep on the couch. They've been great."

"Yep, we've been excellent mini monsters!" Anna said with a small giggle and Finn blew a raspberry on her cheek before putting her down. 

"Well, I'll be taking the next week off of work," Finn explained to Kurt, "and Brooke will be taking the next 2 off from hers. I will be here every day to take care of my wife and the little munchkin monsters will still be going to school and day care as usual."

"I told you, you don't have to take a week off. I'll be fine." Brooke said with a sigh but she leaned against Finn anyway.

"Sure he does. Take advantage of the situation, Brooke." Kurt winked at her before going to give Jack a kiss. 

Then he picked up his phone and bag. 

"If you don't mind, I'm going to go home now. It's been a long day and I need to sleep. Give me a hug, princess." He bent down to squeeze Anna into his arms.

"Bye, Uncle Kurt." She said as she gave his cheek a big kiss before running back into the living room. 

"Oh, I forgot!" Brooke said as Kurt turned to go, "Blaine told me on Monday that he was starting at work with your company today. I didn't get a chance to ask him, he was too worried about me. How was his first day?"

"I think it went well. I couldn't see him there, but he seems to be quite happy." 

Kurt headed to the door. He didn't feel like talking to anyone else about Blaine's first day, he knew he would hate himself again. 

"Call me if you need anything, okay?" He said.

Finn patted his shoulder, and gave him a big smile. 

"We will. Thanks for today, man. I appreciate it."

"Anytime. Bye, guys."

They both waved at him as he closed the door.

Kurt got into his car and turned on the radio to avoid thinking about everything that had happened that day. 

Or more precisely, to avoid thinking about Blaine and whether he was going to be able to face him the next day.


	14. Chapter 14

Blaine got to his desk on Thursday morning feeling even more confused than yesterday. It seemed from the texts and the small phone call with Kurt the evening before that they were still good friends, but when he had walked into the front doors of the building today and said 'good morning' to everyone he recognized, he got a greeting in return until he reached Kurt.

He had no idea why, but Kurt just completely blanked him from across the lobby as he got into the elevator to go to his floor. He had sworn Kurt had seen him this time, waving like a maniac to get his attention. But once again, he only received a short look before Kurt turned away. Blaine had run across the lobby to try and catch the elevator to actually talk to Kurt, but the doors had closed before he got there. 

He waited for the elevator to come back down and then dejectedly just pressed the button for his own floor. He walked past Jonathan and Hannah, who were discussing something, and they both nodded and smiled at him. Which he returned politely.

He just didn't understand it. He knew Kurt was professional, but what was the harm in a 'good morning'? Was he trying to hide the fact that he knew Blaine because of Blaine's overexcited hugging in front of the people in the dining room on Monday? 

Kurt hadn't said anything yet, and they had both promised to be honest with each other about how they felt, and if Kurt wasn't comfortable showing affection at work, he would have told him, right? 

Blaine sighed as he sat at his desk and logged into his personal account. Jonathan appeared then and patted his shoulder as he walked past to sit in his seat, which was adjacent to Blaine's.

"So your first day went pretty well yesterday." He said and Blaine gave him a short nod and a smile.

"Yeah, I was actually really terrified I would fuck something up, but it was actually nice." He admitted, and made Jonathan laugh.

"Yeah, it gets like that sometimes, but fear of fucking up keeps us motivated." He said and Blaine agreed, "okay, so your tasks today are to come up with background ideas for these…3 pages."

He handed Blaine a few sheets of paper with writing on, and Blaine raised an eyebrow.

"They are part of the next issue actually, you can see on the system what everyone else has been working on over the last week." He pointed out as he typed something on Blaine's computer keyboard and the screen changed to a magazine spread, "Hannah was supposed to take these pages, but she has something more important to do for Julia today, so...I'm going to put you in the deep end."

"Are you sure?" Blaine asked him, and Jonathan gave him a confused look, "I mean, I'm extremely new..."

"And extremely talented." Jonathan told him with a smile, "Julia did show me what you did with those last two issues of the magazine. She sneakily took pictures of the papers and emailed me them."

"Oh."

"And I think you can do this." Jonathan added, "now, this article is about fashion in a gender switching situation, basically men wearing clothes originally made for female customers and vice versa...it explains the toxic view in the fashion world and ways that we as society have overcome what qualifies as 'the norm'."

"I see." Blaine was interested and intrigued by this, and he read through a few sentences of the article and then had an idea. "Can I sketch my idea, or did you want me to do it on the system?"

"You can sketch, paint, print...whatever as long as it gets completed by the end of the day, so that me and Julia can go over it." 

Blaine nodded. This was something he could do.

"Oh, and if you need help," Jonathan added before he moved away, "just give me a tap."

Blaine gave him a grateful smile before pulling up some random pattern designs and images on the system and thinking about the layout of the actual article itself. He knew what he wanted, but would it be too out there for Julia's image of her magazine? He had to try, whether he was terrified of disappointing his boss or not, he had to take initiative.

He got to sketching first, filling in gaps and making sure there were spaces for pictures and images he would find later. He was working so diligently that his mind drifted into his work, and he barely had time to think about anything else, or anyone else.

******

Kurt couldn't do this anymore. When he walked into his office, he had to work hard to hold back his tears. 

He didn't know what was wrong with him. He had just literally run from Blaine. There he was, with his perfect smile and waving at him, and Kurt had turned around and got into the elevator as if he hadn't seen him. 

Kurt had promised to himself to face the situation in a different way, to try to be formal and professional with Blaine, but all he was being was rude and insensitive. 

He didn't know if it was only in his head, but Kurt felt observed and judged by everyone in his work, and he didn't like it. He had never felt like this, his job was one of his favorites places and these last few days it seemed like hostile territory. 

But it wasn't Blaine's fault... no, Blaine deserved better than Kurt's contempt. 

Then he remembered Camille's words. Perhaps he shouldn't give so much importance to other people's opinions. He couldn't change all of a sudden, but he had to make an effort. He was no longer the scared teenager he was in high school. He was a grown man, and no one should influence his actions.

What if he had lunch with Blaine? His stomach clenched at the thought of all their co-workers looking at them again, but he focused on Blaine. Blaine would smile at him, ask him how his day was and maybe all Kurt's problems would disappear for a moment. 

Kurt smiled with a new hint of self-confidence. He started writing the new article Julia had asked for with his mind set on spending his lunch break with Blaine. Yes, it was probably all they needed to get things back on track.

******

Blaine had been through so many different sheets of paper that morning, and as the clock ticked 12pm, he glanced up at Jonathan, who was smiling over at him and waiting. Blaine raised an eyebrow and laughed a little confused.

"What?"

"Are you stopping for lunch?" Jonathan asked him as he pointed at the girls and Amir, who were already leaving their desks and computers to head to the dining hall. He nodded at Jonathan and made to grab his bag for lunch before a hand grabbed his wrist, and he looked up at his superior curiously.

"Don't forget to log out, always log out of your account." Jonathan whispered to him with a sincere look, and Blaine didn't raise any questions, he just leaned over to save his work and then log out of the system. 

Jonathan placed an arm around his shoulders as he stood up with his bag, and he whispered again, out of ear shot of anyone else.

"You always have to be extremely careful with your own work, you never know who to trust." 

Blaine furrowed his brows and then looked back at him.

"I know you think it's a great place, but because you're new, you're bound to make people a little jealous of your talent and the attention you receive from Julia, so just be vigilant, yeah?" He added as he walked with Blaine over to Hannah, who was waiting calmly for them at the door.

"Okay." Blaine nodded, "thanks."

"Oh, Blaine, are you going to sit with us today?" Hannah asked with a cute little grin on her face as he reached her. She held one of his hands, and he surprised himself by not pulling away.

"Well...I was hoping to catch up with a friend, but...if he isn't there, sure." 

As the three of them walked into the dining room, he looked around swiftly for Kurt, and his heart sank as once again his soulmate was not present. Camille was over in the corner talking to another girl and he waved at her when she looked his way, getting a wave and a smile in return. 

Hannah pulled on his hand and Blaine looked at all of his own co-workers with a smile before taking a seat between Hannah and Jonathan. Everyone started chatting and involved him too, which he appreciated. They never kept him out of the loop and nobody asked him any personal questions, it was mostly about family and work.

He laughed as Jonathan made a joke at his expense, and with a teasing nudge he knew it was only some light teasing, so he nudged back. These guys were fun, even though Courtney kept throwing him what could only be described as bedroom eyes. 

The rest of them were a lot of fun, even Amir, who was so quiet and aloof while they were at their desks, but now was laughing and joking around with everyone too. Blaine actually started to relax and open himself up more. He enjoyed their company in spit of Kurt's absence again.

******

Kurt checked the time and cursed under his breath. The new article was exciting and he had focused so much on it that he had wasted 10 minutes of his lunch break. He quickly turned off the computer, grabbed his phone and the bag with his veggie sandwich and walked briskly to the dining room. The thought of seeing Blaine wasn't scary for the first time in two days.

When he got there, Kurt looked around the room trying to find Blaine. He first spotted Camille talking to Heather, but the laughter echoing from one of the tables caught Kurt's attention... and there was Blaine. 

Surrounded by his co-workers, he was giving Jonathan an affectionate nudge, while all the girls at the table looked at him adoringly, especially one whose name Kurt didn't remember. Courtney, maybe? 

The most striking thing is that Blaine seemed genuinely happy. He laughed heartily and looked comfortable, and for some reason that upset Kurt. He might be irrational, but he had almost cried a few hours ago for hurting someone who didn't seem hurt at all.

Besides, all those people could be sitting with Blaine without anyone paying attention to them, but a single hug had been enough for him and Blaine to become the biggest gossip in the magazine. It was so unfair. 

Kurt just stood there, feeling a mixture of jealousy and anger inside him, until Blaine noticed him.

Blaine's eyes widened as he saw Kurt and he looked around at his co-workers before excusing himself quickly and standing.

He turned with a big smile and walked towards Kurt at the door, who was staring at him a little strangely. Kurt almost looked hurt.

Blaine was confused as he walked up to him, ready to greet him.

When Kurt saw Blaine approach him, he could feel fear take hold of him again, so he turned and walked out of the dining room, ready to lock himself in his office again.

Blaine frowned and sped up a little as Kurt left the dining room, pushing back out of the door and calling for him.

"Kurt, wait!"

Kurt stood still when he heard his name. He knew he couldn't pretend he hadn't seen Blaine this time, so he took a deep breath and turned to look at him. 

"Hey." He said, trying to fake a smile.

Blaine looked a little shocked that Kurt had in fact stopped and turned to him. He gave him a little nervous smile.

"Hey, where are you running off to?"

"I'm an idiot." Kurt laughed, even though he knew he didn't sound sincere. "I came out for lunch but I just remembered that I left something in my office, so I have to go back."

Blaine nodded slowly, trying not to let his disappointment show on his face, and gave Kurt a big smile. 

"Okay, well, maybe I'll see you later?" He asked hopefully.

"Yeah, of course. Go back inside, I'm sure they are waiting for you." Kurt said, trying to control the bitterness of his words. "Talk to you later." 

He reached out and gave Blaine a pat on the shoulder. It was something so cold, so unlike them, that Kurt felt stupid doing it.

"Are you not coming back to lunch?" Blaine asked a little confused, and a little upset. Maybe Kurt was trying to avoid him.

He didn't know what he had done wrong, but there was something stiff and uncomfortable about Kurt right now. Something was very wrong.

Kurt knew Blaine wasn't stupid and that he was aware that something wasn't right between them, but this wasn't the time to talk about it. He was angry for some unknown reason, and he didn't want to say anything that he later regretted. 

"No, I'm very short of time, so I'll eat something quickly in my office. Text you after work." 

Kurt gave Blaine another awkward smile before turning around and leaving.

Blaine watched him leave with a frown setting on his face, but after a minute he squashed the feeling of rejection down because he didn't want to go there at work, and then he walked slowly back into the dining room to join his co-workers.

******

That evening, after taking a shower and eating something, Kurt lay down on the couch and picked up his phone. He felt a little more relaxed and thought it was a good time to try to patch things with Blaine. 

He remembered a conversation he had had with Dylan a couple of days ago. When he got home last Saturday after spending the day with Blaine and the guys, Kurt texted Dylan to give him his number too, and Dylan's response was 'you don't know what you've done, darling ;P'. 

Then, on Tuesday, Dylan texted him saying that he planned to propose to Nate, and Kurt cheered as if they were his longtime friends. Those two guys were already really special to him. 

Also, Dylan told Kurt that he was expecting him and Blaine in a couple of months for their anniversary celebration, when he wanted to ask Nate to marry him. Kurt said 'yes', of course, and something inside him thrilled at the prospect of traveling to Virginia with Blaine... maybe as more than friends then? 

Well, for that to happen he would have to try to keep their friendship from being ruined in the first place. Kurt sighed and started typing.

\- Didn't you think to tell me that a certain person that you and I know is thinking of proposing to another person that you and I know too? - 

Kurt hit 'send' and waited.

\- To be fair, I haven't really seen you face to face to tell you :P lol -

Kurt breathed in relief. At least Blaine answered and didn't seem angry. 

\- Rude lol What can I say? I'm a busy guy. But you can always call me ;P -

\- I think a proposal is a face to face conversation, so that you can share in the excitement with friends. A conversation that people usually have over lunch lol -

Okay, maybe he was angry.

\- I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, okay? And now tell me how excited you are that they're getting married, because obviously Nate will say yes! -

\- Of course he will say yes. My best friends are disgustingly cute together XD There is no way Nate is escaping from Dyl's clutches, haha. I mean, they're soulmates ;P -

\- Dylan told me that he wants us to be there for the proposal, and his message had a lot of puppy eyes emojis, I couldn't say no lol -

\- Yeah...he does put on the puppy dog eyes a lot lol XD -

\- That's emotional blackmail, you should tell him lol - 

After sending that text, Kurt typed 'are we okay?', but he deleted it before sending it. He knew that it was difficult to find out someone's mood through messages, but he felt that something was missing there.

\- Oh, I always tell him, he won't ever change. -

Kurt was sure then, something was wrong, so maybe there was no point in prolonging that conversation. 

\- Yeah, I guess. Well, we'll talk more about this in person, right? I have to go now. -

\- Sure x I'll see you tomorrow :) -

\- Yeah, see you tomorrow ;) -

******

Blaine's mind was literally a spinning mess of emotions. He was pissed off, but happy at the same time. He was upset but overjoyed, and above all others, he was confused beyond shit.

Kurt had been so aloof and cold at work today, trying to disappear from Blaine's sight, feigning that he had work to do that was more important than having lunch in the break room with Blaine. With Camille even.

Blaine had felt rejection eating at him all day, because he hadn't heard a word from Kurt until this evening. 

He knew his responses were dull and probably conveyed his hurt and anger, but he couldn't help it. Kurt was being like his usual self in his texts and after today at work, it was only fuelling Blaine's frustration and anger. 

Kurt could pretend that nothing was wrong, but clearly there was. Maybe something had happened that he didn't want to talk about? Maybe it was Kurt being afraid of being close to him again?

Maybe it was something different? He couldn't tell. Kurt was hurting him, his chest ached so much and his eyes stung with tears that he fought to keep inside. Why was he doing this to him?

For the first time since meeting Kurt properly, Blaine could honestly say he didn't know him as well as he thought he did. If Kurt knew Blaine like he said he did, and he wanted to be friends like he said he did, then why was he pushing them apart?

Kurt had to know that, in doing so, he was hurting Blaine. He knew how Blaine felt about him, that he was willing to wait for him. He was waiting, but without any form of communication from Kurt, he would not be able to stand this constant struggle of up and down they had.

Maybe tomorrow was his best bet to find out what was going on. It would be Friday and it would be relaxed, everyone always longed for Fridays. Fridays were happy, end of the week days. 

Yes, he would talk to Kurt tomorrow and find out why he was causing him so much pain and anguish when he had done nothing to deserve it. He thought about texting Dylan and Nate to ask for advice, but all Dylan would do was text Kurt and ask what was going on, and Blaine did not want the wrath of Kurt to come down on him if he found out he spread their business everywhere.

No, he would take it on himself. He just hoped that he would resolve this without an argument.

******

It was finally Friday. That week had been incredibly long for Kurt. He never would have thought that having Blaine in his work place would be a handicap rather than a bonus.

Besides, Blaine was angry, it didn't take a genius to figure it out. Blaine's texts were always warm and a bit flirty, which made Kurt blush, but at the same time, he felt a lot of butterflies. Yesterday afternoon's were cold and made it pretty clear that Blaine didn't want to talk to him.

Kurt could understand that Blaine was upset. His behaviour for the last two days hadn't been normal, but he didn't have the right to be really angry, right? Blaine didn't seem to be suffering alone at work, quite the opposite.

Kurt hadn't even had breakfast that day, just a coffee before going to work. The whole situation made him sick to his stomach. When Julia called him and he went to her office, Kurt realized that his stomach wasn't the only thing that seemed wrong.

"Are you okay?" Julia asked, looking at him worriedly.

"Yes, I'm good." Kurt lied. "Why?"

"You don't look good. You are not working too hard again, are you?" She joked.

"Not at all, you won't be that lucky. I didn't sleep well last night, that's all."

"Okay." Julia didn't seem very convinced, but she let it go. "Do you think you will have your article finished by today?"

"Sure. In a couple of hours you'll have it in your mailbox."

"You're the best." She smiled sincerely at him, and suddenly she seemed to have an idea. "Do you know Jonathan from the 3rd floor?"

"Yes." Kurt replied, tense from this turn of events.

"See, I have to give him this folder, but I'm so busy right now. Would you mind getting it to him? So you can see Blaine and have coffee with him, it might help."

Shit. Did Julia just want to be nice or did she think there was something between them too? Kurt was about to make an excuse, but then he remembered that she was still his boss.

"Sure. I'll take it to him now."

"Thanks, Kurt." Julia winked at him, and Kurt grabbed the folder and headed for the elevators.

Would he see Blaine? His intention was to give the folder to Jonathan and get out of there as soon as possible, but he had a hunch he would see him. Maybe he could be polite for once and just say 'hi'.

When the elevator reached the 3rd floor and the doors opened, Kurt had barely taken two steps when he saw Blaine... talking to two girls and a guy, who seemed to be listening intently to something he was telling them. Unbelievable. Didn't Blaine know how to be alone for a second?

Kurt spotted Jonathan at the other end of the room. He could have taken a detour and totally avoided Blaine, but he didn't want to, so he walked past the little group Blaine was in and didn't even look at them. He went straight to Jonathan, handed him the folder and went back the way he had come. Even though Kurt wasn't looking, he was pretty sure Blaine was looking at him and he felt like he had won that round.

Yes, he was being stupid and childish, but he couldn't control how he felt. He went back to his office and started working again dismissing the feeling that maybe, little by little, he was pushing Blaine away from him.

******

"Excuse me for one second." Blaine said to Hannah, Courtney and Amir, before turning to go and glance out of the door. He swore he had seen Kurt there.

Yes, there he was, going back to the elevator. Blaine was just about to call out to him and maybe wave, but he could see the look on Kurt's face, cold and stony. Guarded.

Blaine hesitated. Why hadn't Kurt stopped to say 'hello' to him? Did he not want Blaine to work here anymore? Was he just trying to be professional? 

After yesterday, Blaine was confused. Kurt was stiff and awkward when he saw him at lunch time and made up some excuse about going to eat in his office, and then he had text him about Dylan that same night, like nothing was wrong.

But something was wrong. Something was incredibly wrong. And it hurt. The ache in his chest was painful and very raw as he watched Kurt get into the elevator.

Blaine was disgusted with himself for not seeing that something had been bothering Kurt for the last week. It hadn't been that obvious really, but he should have realized what was going through Kurt's head. He knew Kurt was a very private person and didn't want everyone talking about his business. For that fact, Blaine was angry at himself, but he was angrier with Kurt. 

He should have told him he didn't want to have lunch together. They promised each other to always be honest and to tell each other exactly how they were feeling. He would have backed off if Kurt wanted him to at work, but the not knowing was obviously making the rumors worse.

Jonathan had patted his shoulder as he was standing at the door and thinking, and told Blaine he needed to go to the 4th floor and take some documents to the finance department. Blaine only nodded solemnly before taking the folder from Jonathan and heading for the elevator himself.

When he stepped out onto the 4th floor and headed down the short hall towards the finance offices, he could hear hushed voices around one corner. It sounded like women talking. He stopped dead in his tracks as he walked past and heard a little of their conversation.

"Apparently, he's sleeping with the new guy in the graphics department. Hummel isn't very good at hiding it, we should have seen it coming. It's always the quiet ones we have to watch." One had said and the other laughed, almost cackled.

"Did he actually say they were together?"

"Oh come on, you can see it from a mile away. But if the new guy had any sense, maybe he should have slept with Jonathan on 3rd floor. That would have gotten him a better job." 

They chuckled together in a malicious way, and Blaine gulped down his resentment and hurt as he continued on to the finance office. Once he had handed her the papers with a smile, he turned back to head back to the elevator. The two women must have been oblivious to him before, but they saw him coming now and their discussion had turned into hushed whispers. But they were eyeing him up and down as they whispered to each other, so he knew it was still about him and Kurt. 

He refrained from speaking up and actually setting the record straight for the whole floor, but that would only be creating drama and he wouldn't do that in his first week. 

Had Kurt heard the rumors? Is that what the distance was about this week? It must be. 

But it still made Blaine irrationally angry and the pain in his chest only worsened. He would need to talk to Kurt about what was bothering him and get the truth before this completely destroyed their friendship.

******

"Coming to lunch?" Courtney asked him with a big flirty smile on her face, and Blaine logged out of his system, glancing at the clock to see it was 12pm, and he smiled a little back.

"No, I have something to do. I'll meet you there." He said as he grabbed his stuff and headed for the door, leaving her with a confused look. 

He headed to the elevator to go down to the 2nd floor, and as he stepped out he could see that the people on the floor were going towards the dining room, but he turned the other way and headed along the doors, trying to find Kurt's office. 

He came to the door with 'K. Hummel' on it, and then knocked quickly. He hoped Kurt was there. He needed him to be there.

"Come in."

Blaine pushed the door open slowly and walked in, a smile on his face as he saw Kurt behind his desk.

Kurt didn't look up from the computer screen before speaking.

"Camille, you care about my eating habits more than my dad. I've told you that..." Kurt finally looked at the person in front of him, and something inside him sped up. It wasn't Camille.

"Blaine."

"Hey, so still busy, I see." Blaine said a little kindly. He had to be gentle about this.

"Yeah, I'm always busy." Kurt responded with a small smile. "What are you doing here?"

Blaine shrugged as his smile dropped into a frown.

"I just wanted to ask… are we okay?"

'No, we are not.' That's what Kurt thought, but he didn't say it. He was too embarrassed to talk about this now, especially when anyone could walk past the door and hear them.

"Yeah, of course we are. Why are you asking me that?" He said, feeling horrible and just wanting to get up and go to Blaine, hug him and let that simple gesture solve everything.

Blaine walked forward slowly, placing his bag down on the chair in front of Kurt's desk and then walking up to the desk, placing his hands on it. He stared at Kurt with serious eyes for a while. 

"I just caught some vibes this week, and we haven't been talking like we should, I just need to know...really know if there is something wrong." Blaine asked him outright and waited.

'Yes, I'm jealous and hurt and I hate that they talk about us, and I don't know how to handle this situation.' He though, but again, Kurt swallowed the words he really wanted to say.

"It's probably my fault. I have a lot of work these days and I tend to isolate myself when that happens, you'll get used to it." Kurt couldn't keep his eyes on Blaine though, and started to fiddle with some papers on his desk.

Blaine knew it was a lie, because Kurt wasn't looking at him, but he would give Kurt one last chance to tell him. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Are you sure there's nothing else going on?" He asked and then opened his eyes to stare at him.

Kurt felt Blaine's eyes on him, like he was trying to get inside his head and know what he was really thinking. Should he tell him? No, it was not the time or the place.

"I'm sure. Don't worry, really." He tentatively reached out and placed his hand over Blaine's, but he removed it when he felt the contact was going to make him falter.

Blaine stared down at his hand for a minute, before clenching his fists against the desk and he froze. He stood there, anger and hurt filling his whole body. Kurt just lied twice to his face and he didn't know what to do. 

He still stood there for a few minutes, staring at Kurt's face, but Kurt was not looking at him. 

Blaine took several deep breaths to calm himself down, but his breathing hitched a little on every intake. 

His face set in a deep frown, and he turned to leave, picking up his bag on the way out.

"Blaine?" Kurt said when he saw that Blaine was about to leave.

Blaine thought about stopping and giving Kurt another chance, but he was done, completely done. He couldn't. 

Without even turning around, he walked out and closed the door with a little snap behind him.

Kurt shook his head, even more hurt and confused than he was before Blaine came into his office. It was obvious that there was a problem between them, a big one, and the worst part was that he had no idea how to fix it.


	15. Chapter 15

Kurt's phone pinged at 8:03pm that same night.

After getting home on the Friday, he thought he would get himself a little pick-me-up for his mood after the day at work. He was still quite upset after speaking to Blaine in his office, and he needed some of his calm down time, so he had ordered Chinese food and had filled his freezer with two tubs of his favourite cherry flavored ice-cream for later. He sat down in front of the TV to watch the 'Next top model' season 5, which he had neglected to watch over the last few days, and settled into the couch cushions.

He glanced at his phone when it pinged and was surprised to see Blaine's name, but a small smile graced his lips anyway as he opened the message.

From: Blaine

\- Kurt, I need to talk to you. It's important. Can I come over? -

Kurt's smile fell a little and he furrowed his brows at the weird text. Blaine had never been that formal in his texts before and it surprised him. He shook of the odd feeling it gave him as he text back.

\- Why do you sound so serious? Should I be worried? lol -

He hoped the teasing text would maybe make Blaine realize how his message sounded, but after he received the reply, he knew that the texts were meant to be serious.

\- Can I come over, please? -

\- Yeah, of course. I'm at home, so come around when you want. -

\- I'm already outside. I'll be up in a second. -

What? He was already there? Kurt had no idea what Blaine could be coming to talk about, but a shot of fear went through him as he thought about what happened at work, so he paused his show and took a deep breath.

\- Okay. See you soon. - 

He text back, using the little bit of courage he had left to send it.

After about 40 seconds, there was a short sharp knock on his door and he felt the nerves trickling in as he walked to open it. Maybe Blaine was just playing around with him. Maybe he was going to be outside the door with a smile as bright as the sun like last time, and they would be fine.

So Kurt put on his own smile as he pulled the door open.

"Hey." Kurt started joyfully, but Blaine's look wiped it completely from his face. "What's wrong?"

Blaine looked kind of awful. He looked jittery and nervous, and also upset. Kurt could tell by his eyes.

Blaine sighed.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure." Kurt opened the door wider to let him in.

Blaine walked past, almost nervously as if he was on edge. He stopped by the back of the couch and turned to face Kurt.

"Do you want a drink?" Kurt felt that what Blaine was about to tell him was not good, and a part of him wanted to delay it a bit.

"No, I don't." Blaine's tone left no room for argument, and he crossed his arms across his chest as he stared at Kurt, "we need to talk about what's been going on these past 3 days."

"Okay. And what's exactly been going on?" Kurt asked, frowning at him.

"You, Kurt, you tell me. Why do you ignore me at work? You were the one that got me the job." Blaine said as calmly as he could, although at Kurt's confused look his anger was rising.

"I don't ignore you, Blaine." Kurt knew that wasn't entirely true though, but he didn't want to admit it.

Blaine huffed out a laugh that sounded bitter.

"I can't believe this." He said softly, and then glared at him, "on Wednesday, when I said 'Good morning' to you, you completely blanked me, and after that I didn't even see you. Same on Thursday, only you didn't even look at me that day and at lunch, when I tried to talk to you, you ran away."

Kurt laughed a little, even though he was nervous.

"I did not run away, Blaine, I had to go back to my office." He said at the same time as his mind was screaming 'tell him the truth, you idiot'.

Blaine shook his head at him and looked him dead in the eye as he lowered his voice.

"Today...today I asked you if anything was wrong. Between us, or at work. And I got nothing, you wouldn't even look at me."

"Blaine, I was busy, I told you that. I can't drop everything at work to just talk to you. It's not as simple as that." Kurt found himself getting irritated.

"I know." Blaine agreed, which stopped Kurt for a moment, "it's not simple at work. We both have jobs to do. But what is simple is saying 'good morning', a wave, a smile, a god damn text to warn me not to talk to you, maybe."

Kurt felt shame fill his entire being, but there was also rising anger and frustration at everything he wanted to say but was too scared to admit. Yes, the way he had gone about things this week was wrong. And Blaine had been patient with him, and honest... he expected the same from Kurt, but Kurt had not been any of that. He had lied, he had hidden from his problems.

Blaine took a few steps backwards and walked around the floor, almost pacing but not quite.

"I would have put it down to you completely not wanting to be my friend anymore, at least it would have made sense." Blaine said as he laughed unamused up at the ceiling, "except it didn't make any sense, because after work and in the evenings, I would get messages from you like everything was exactly how it was before, like nothing had changed."

"Blaine..." Kurt tried to interrupt, but Blaine only paused for a second before continuing in his rant, pacing back and forth across the hardwood floor of Kurt's living room.

"I told myself that I would be patient, I told myself that you ignoring me was just a work thing. I even told myself that eventually I would get a message, a call… hell, even an email to explain what you were doing... but I got nothing." Blaine spat out his words like venom, and Kurt couldn't help but feel the sting as ice filled his veins at the spite in his tone, "not one thing from you, to explain away what dance we were doing at work, to alleviate this confusion that I had about you turning hot and cold on me all the time."

"Look, Blaine, don't put all of this on me, okay?" Kurt spat back, his irritation taking over. "I didn't need the extra fuss at work. I was busy, that is true, and I didn't want rumors to spread about us… about me probably sleeping with you."

Blaine went to open his mouth to respond but Kurt held his hand up to silence him as he went on.

"And I think you're overreacting, Blaine. I'm sorry if you think I don't give you all the attention that you need, but honestly, I'm surprised that you noticed my absence."

"What the hell does that mean?" Blaine asked curiously and furiously at the same time.

"In the past three days, you have already made a gaggle of admirers. Everyone looks like they want to be your friend." Kurt told him with a mocking grin, watching as Blaine's eyes flashed dangerously.

"I'm making friends, Kurt!" Blaine said as he flung his arms out, "I'm making friends because those people in my little part of the work place actually want me around, they want to talk to me. They actually made me feel welcome."

"Congratulations then." Kurt said sarcastically, and Blaine hit the wall with a fist, which made Kurt jump slightly.

"I appreciate people in my work place treating me with kindness and actually making my presence there feel valuable, like I wanted you to! Guess it was too much to ask of you to tell people that we were actually friends."

"Friends! We are not at work to make friends, neither are we required to tell the whole building our business. Have you ever stopped to think for a second that everyone probably thinks I got you the job? That maybe you fucked me to get a position at the company?"

"I don't listen to the rumors, Kurt, this has nothing to do with anyone else!" Blaine shouted again, but Kurt practically screamed over him.

"Do you want to know what they value? They value your skills, and your pretty face. They value the amount of gossip you bring in with you, they value talking about us like we're some kind of star-crossed lovers. They don't value your friendship, and they probably don't even respect you."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Blaine yelled now, "are you seriously telling me that those people only want me around for my face...for the way I look?"

"Especially Courtney and Jonathan." Kurt added with a sneer as Blaine only stared at him with confusion mixed with anger, "yeah, I caught those precious friends of yours giving you those lusty eyes across the table."

"So what?" Blaine said as he crossed his arms, with a haughty look on his face now as he stared Kurt down. "I'm single, am I not?"

The statement was true, but it hit Kurt right in the chest like an actual punch would have, and for a second or two his breathing hitched and it hurt.

"Then go for it, if you're single. Go back to the way it always was, back in your good old sex filled college days. I guess you won't need anymore practice getting some with that charming smile of yours."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Blaine screeched then, his voice going higher and almost on par with Kurt's.

"No, what the fuck is wrong with you? It was my work place first and I put my reputation on the line to give you a chance, and you come here to blame me for not smiling at you? You are a fucking child!" Kurt yelled, running his hands through his hair as he shook his head. "You are so used to being in the spotlight that you don't understand that some of us don't like it, but why would you think about someone other than you? You are incredibly selfish."

"Selfish? You wanna talk about who's selfish?" Blaine laughed, "you are, you selfish asshole! I spent the whole week trying to get you to talk to me, to actually discuss what was going on like adults, but you were too much of a coward to do that. So fuck you!" He moved towards him, and Kurt took a couple of steps back, as a little bit of fear flashed across his eyes, but Blaine didn't notice. "I came here tonight to try and sort out this whole mess, because unlike you, I valued our friendship, but you only want to be friends with me when it's convenient for you... and god forbid at work where they all talk about us."

"Oh, you like the fact they think we're fucking, don't you? Because that's exactly what you want… me at your feet begging you to be my boyfriend." Kurt's face was set in a snarl and Blaine only sneered back at him.

"Some of the rumors are actually so far off that it's laughable, so why don't you grow up, be a man and learn to ignore them?"

"So you don't care that people talk about us? Great, Blaine, do you want a badge for it? You've been there for three days, but that job is my life, okay? And I don't want anyone spreading around shit about me that could ruin my career." 

Kurt was on a roll now, and Blaine had been taking shots at his fear controlling him, which was a low blow, so now Kurt had the claws out and he was aiming to hurt. Even though his own heart was screaming out to not do anything he could regret, his anger had taken over now and his guard was up.

"See, unlike you, Blaine, I don't go there to see the girls making eyes at me even if they have no chance, or for everyone to tell me how cool I am and invite me to have lunch with them. Do you know how many of those people know shit about my life? No one, except Camille. But everyone talks, everyone gossips." He added in a mimic tone, copying Blaine's voice a little as Blaine narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, "but oh, you are their friend, because you're really good at pretending to be friends with people. Or are you going to tell me that you agree that you and I are just friends? But that's not what you want, is it?"

Blaine gasped in surprise, offended.

"Maybe, just maybe, you're just pretending to be my friend, treating me nicely and making up little speeches like you'll always be there for me." Kurt continued with a sardonic grin, making gestures with his hands, "I guess all that 'I'll wait for however long it takes, Kurt' was just a lie. All you want is to get into my pants."

"Yeah, that's all I want, to get into Mr. Kurt Hummel's egotistic, sarcastic, moody little pants." Blaine argued back, "for somebody claiming to be the victim in all of this, you sure throw some sharp weapons around. What does my past have to do with any of this?"

Kurt didn't answer that, he moved away from him and turned his back. Tense as he was, Blaine could see that guarded wall crumbling and he wanted answers, real answers this time.

"Over this past week, you have run away from me like I'm some kind of disease you can catch if you get too close." Blaine said as he raised his eyebrows and waited for answers, "and I want to know why. Now!"

Kurt paced the room for a few seconds, nervously picking at his clothes and unable to meet Blaine's gaze.

"Do you know how difficult it has been to be near you these last few days? Do you know that some people have come up to me and asked if you were my boyfriend, if we were fucking? Couldn't you wait a bit for the rumors to get silenced before attacking me? Just put yourself in my shoes for a moment!" He sighed, looking at his feet. 

"And how was I supposed to know that any of this was happening when you don't tell me?" Blaine shouted again and Kurt exploded.

"I'm sorry, okay?" He screamed. "I'm sorry. I feel bad. I feel guilty for every time I moved away from you. I feel like a thread being stretched that will break at any moment, and what a surprise, as soon as I put a little distance between us you cannot bear it and go find someone else." 

"So this is some kind of jealousy? Really?" Blaine grabbed fistfuls of his own hair and growled in frustration before looking at Kurt with wide eyes full of different emotions. "How can you be so stupid? The only person I wanted to talk was been avoiding me, what was I supposed to do?"

At Blaine's confused frown, Kurt went on, adding in all of the frustration and confusion and hurt into his words. And he didn't stop it, he couldn't stop it.

"Is that what it would be like if we were together? If I don't give you all the attention you apparently need, you'll go get other people? Do you have 400 numbers saved in your phone for such a time?"

Kurt regretted his words as soon as he spat them, but it was too late to back down.

Blaine took a breath and closed his eyes, just taking the words as they were. He knew Kurt had a problem with that, and he knew at some point it would be thrown in his face. It was inevitable.

He opened his eyes, and now they were dull as they looked back at Kurt, devoid of anger, devoid of sadness, devoid of anything. He was silent as he nodded.

"Well, what about you?" Blaine said almost too low to be heard, but Kurt caught it.

"What?" He asked angrily, and Blaine glared at him with such fire Kurt felt his breath catch again.

"What about you? At least those 400 guys I was with were single, none of them cheated on any boyfriend." Blaine said extremely calmly, and added a slight smirk for putting the look of hurt and pain across Kurt's face.

After a slight pause, Kurt just stood up straight and glared at him.

"God, I feel bad for your soulmate." Blaine added a little final piece on top of the cake of pain to throw at Kurt, but he did not bite.

"Soulmates aren't fucking real, Blaine. Will you grow up? It's a fantasy put into our heads when we are young and impressionable, so that they can control us."

"Bullshit!" Blaine said, and then interrupted Kurt when he opened his mouth again, "I know, I know, soulmates don't exist, blah blah blah."

Kurt's frown deepened.

"Oh, come on, look around at how much proof you have. Your brother, my sister, my best friends, your own fucking parents, Kurt! You know, if you were to open up your eyes a little more, maybe the world wouldn't seem so one dimensional to you, and you would actually have the confidence to talk to other people about problems before they turn into a big mess."

"You know what? I think you should leave, I have no desire to talk to you anymore when you're being such a dick." Kurt said loudly and haughtily, and then pointed to his door. "Get out of my apartment."

Blaine shook his head and mumbled something as he walked away, going towards the door.

Kurt didn't want him to leave. Something told him that if Blaine walked out that door it was over, but he didn't know what to say to avoid it.

"Fate is so unfair." Blaine said quietly as he stood with the door handle in his hand.

"What?" Kurt asked, confused. "What does that mean?"

Blaine turned back as he opened the door.

"You know, out of all the things we've done together, and all the time we've spent together... if you still don't know, then there's no point anymore." He walked out and closed the door. He didn't slam it, he didn't leave it open… he just closed it softly.

When Blaine left and there was nothing there but silence, Kurt felt something break inside his chest and he started crying.

******

Blaine felt incredibly numb. After walking out of Kurt's apartment, he felt something like rain on his shirt, but he realized soon after that it was actually soft silent tears falling from his face. He hastily wiped his face and eyes before getting in his car and driving home.

All he felt was emptiness. He had no idea what to do. He couldn't think, he could barely breathe properly. 

When he got home, he went straight to his refrigerator and pulled out the 6 pack of beers that were in there, along with the whisky from his last birthday, and went to sit on the couch. He drank and drank, until everything was empty and fuzzy, until he felt a lot better, prepared to face the rest of the night. Then he went for a walk.

Central Park was calm at this time of night, and he could not feel any coldness in the air because of his inebriated state, so he sat underneath a tree, on the damp grass, and stared up at the sky. There weren't many stars out yet, but he could see some twinkling lights in the distance. 

He wanted to call Kurt. But...he didn't, really. He just felt so lost right now, like the entire world he had built around him these last few weeks didn't matter and had already crumbled to sand. 

Less than sand. Nothing.

He was nothing. Less than nothing. He was worthless. 

He cried. There, under the stars in the sky, under the tree, sitting on the damp grass in Central Park. He cried. Loudly.

There was nobody around to stop him, nobody to hear him. He was alone. Like always. He sniffled and rested his head back against the tree when his cries quietened down. What would he do now?

He thought about going out, clubs and bars and guys...but that was so far away from who he was now. He didn't even know if anybody would be interested in such a mess like him right now. He needed comfort, though.

He tried to stand and his legs buckled, sending him face first into the floor. 

"Aoow!" He mumbled against the pavement he had just hit his nose on, and fumbled with his hands to push himself up, only enough to roll himself over.

His limbs weren't cooperating with him tonight. Damn that whiskey. 

"Fuuuuck..." He mumbled out as he brought one shaky hand up to his face and felt his nose. It wasn't broken, thank god, but when his fingertips ran into something sticky, he knew he was bleeding.

He had to go home.

He gathered all of his energy into getting up onto all fours, and then laughed at his own mind for making dirty jokes at him in this position before scuffling his shoes underneath him and managing to kneel.

This was harder than it looked. His vision was blurry, and now that he was up, his nose throbbed and he could feel blood running over his lips and down his chin. He swiped at it with his shirt sleeve and then whimpered when it stung.

After a few minutes of failed attempts at standing, he managed by some miracle to find the corner of a bench and help himself up. He wobbled though, very dangerously wobbled, on every step he took to get back to his apartment. 

Had he been out long? He didn't know, but the street lights were casting a brilliant foggy glow over everything, and it was silent and dark. Nobody was around, no cars, no people. No cats and dogs making so much noise until their owners or neighbouring citizens shouted for them to shut up.

Everything was empty, like Blaine felt. 

He made it to his door, eventually. Struggled with pushing it open and staggering inside, he remembered to lock it shut behind him and turned to head to the bathroom. He had to inspect the damage to his face. 

He looked into the mirror almost hesitantly. He was shocked with the way he looked; he didn't look much like Blaine at all. If anything, he looked like one of those hobos who beat each other up for money. He had red rimmed eyes, and his nose was caked in blood, his lip was split a little at the top… when did that happen? He had blood dripping from his nose still, and some drying already on his face and neck. 

He was a wreck. 

He cleaned himself up as best he could, stumbling against the sink as he cupped water in his hands. After that, he thought it might be best for his headache if he lay down. As soon as his head hit the pillow on his bed, he passed out.

******

Kurt tossed and turned in bed one more time. The sun was already fully lighting his room, but he did not feel like getting up to draw the curtains. He didn't feel like getting up at all.

To say that he wasn't okay was an understatement. Kurt felt completely empty, as if someone had taken all of his feelings and thrown them away. Maybe that was what Blaine had done. 

He had replayed the fight over and over in his head since Blaine left, and that was one of the reasons he hadn't slept. Kurt was too busy going over every poisoned dart, every sentence made to hurt, and he had come up with nothing. Only that maybe what he'd been through for the past few weeks had been a lie. 

That thought made Kurt cry again. He thought there were no more tears left inside him, but he was wrong. Blaine had made him feel more alive, more wanted, more important than anyone in his entire life, and everything they were together had been destroyed in a stupid fight. And they both did that, Kurt knew he was as responsible as Blaine. 

If he could travel through time, Kurt would want to go back to the moment when he told Blaine about the job and just not do it. 

But no, that didn't make him feel better either. Blaine was miserable at his previous job, and Kurt had given him a chance to improve and he was proud of it. Would he prefer Blaine happy and away from him than miserable by his side? The answer was yes.

Kurt cared about Blaine to that point. He... no, he wasn't going to say that he was falling in love with him, let alone now when he was a mess tucked under his duvet and crying non-stop. What was the point of thinking about love when they probably weren't even friends now?

When his phone pinged on the nightstand, Kurt nearly fell out of bed in his haste to grab it. He had to laugh, even with his face still wet with tears... that was pathetic. But maybe Blaine still wanted to fight for him. 

When he looked at the screen of his phone, that little hope vanished. 

From: Camille 

\- Hey, Kurtie, if you don't have plans with Mr. Eyelashes, do you want us to go to have dinner tonight? I didn't see you yesterday and I want to know how you are. - 

Kurt thought about not answering it, but he knew that Camille was capable of calling him. So he did.

\- Sorry, Cami, I already have plans. See you on Monday x - 

He hoped that she would be satisfied, even if his only plans were to spend the whole day in bed. He had always laughed at those movie characters that are dumped by the person they love and spend the day lying on the couch, crying and eating ice-cream. He never thought of being in that situation, but there he was. 

Throughout the day, he only got out of bed to go to the bathroom and drink some water. He didn't want to eat or change his pyjamas. He just wanted to wallow in his pain. 

He wasn't going to do anything else over the weekend than think about Blaine, about every time Blaine had touched him, smiled at him, hugged him... he just wanted to think about what he'd had and possibly lost forever.

******

When the alarm on his phone woke him up, Kurt couldn't believe the weekend had already passed. 

On Sunday, he had done exactly the same thing as Saturday, so the thought of actually getting out of bed and going to work seemed like punishment. But a broken heart was no reason to call Julia and ask for the day off, so Kurt got up and got into the shower. 

He couldn't remember the last time he had gone two days without showering, but his body appreciated the feel of the hot water on his skin.

He didn't waste too much time choosing his outfit. Tight black jeans and a black-and-white striped shirt would do it. 

As he poured himself a cup of coffee, Kurt realized it was actually Monday. Well, at least he had Blaine's texts... damn. He checked his phone, but there were no messages. He knew Blaine had the right not to text him after what happened on Friday, but... he had promised. He had promised to make Mondays more bearable to Kurt. Well, it looked like he had lost that too, Kurt thought as he wiped away the tears that were falling back down his cheeks again. He was so sick of crying, but he couldn't help it. 

Should he be the one to text him? No, if Blaine had wanted to talk to him, he would have made the first move. Kurt wasn't going to force him or beg for attention. He would have to get through Mondays on his own, like he had always done. 

He drank his coffee in two gulps, more out of need to wake up than out of desire, then washed his face at the kitchen faucet and grabbed his bag and phone before leaving. He got into the car knowing that in a few minutes he would be getting at work and Blaine would be there. The last thing Kurt needed was to meet him there and pretend that nothing had happened. But he had no other choice. If this was going to be his life now, better get used to it as soon as possible.

******

As soon as Kurt walked inside the double doors of the building, he felt sick again, but quickly pushed past the feeling. He smiled as he saw Heather on his way to the elevator, quickly walking into it alone and making his way up.

He let out a sigh as he reached his office. Not seeing Blaine was a relief but also he was feeling incredibly out of sorts when Blaine wasn't there to wave at him or give him a smile.

Camille came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder as he opened his office door, which made him jump a little because he wasn't expecting anyone to be there yet. She looked at him worried as he startled and grabbed his chest before turning to her.

"Are you okay?" She asked with concern and he chuckled a little breathlessly.

"Yes, I'm okay." He said as he pushed the door and walked into his office. 

She followed after him and shut the door behind her.

"Babe, I don't know if you know this, but you look like you haven't slept in a week." Camille told him and he didn't look at her as he placed his bags down and sat in his chair.

"I know. Just not a very good weekend, that's all." He admitted, which surprised him, and Camille nodded understanding.

He knew he looked like crap after crying his eyes out for two days. His eyes looked sunken and he had started to get dark circles underneath them, his skin wasn't as clear as it was before, and his hair seemed to be uncontrollable today.

"Are you getting ill?" She asked again as she sat on top of his desk instead of the other chair.

"No."

Kurt knew from the pause in the conversation that Camille was staring at him intently, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. She was his closest friend and he never came into work any less than perfect, but today he just didn't care what he looked like.

"Did something happen?" She asked slowly and curiously, but her tone was sad.

Kurt sighed.

"I lied to you." Kurt confessed. "On Friday, Blaine and I had a fight and when you texted me on Saturday I didn't feel like going out, so I lied to you. I'm sorry."

Camille moved a little closer to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, Kurt..."

"No." He cut her off. "Look, I haven't slept properly in three days, and if you make me talk about it now, I'm going to break down again and I can't, so please, Camille, please, just let it go. I promise I'll tell you all about it at some point, but now I can't."

Camille didn't know what to do. She had never seen him like that. In fact, she was not sure she had even seen Kurt cry, but now he seemed to be about to do it, so she decided to respect his wish.

"Okay. We don't have to talk about it, but please don't stay here alone all day. Whatever happened with Blaine, locking yourself in your office and isolating from the world is not the solution. I want to see you in the dining room for lunch, okay?"

Kurt shook his head.

"He will be there..."

"I don't care." Camille answered. "You've already had two days to sink, I'm not going to let you do it today. Don't make me drag you there, Hummel."

Something similar to a laugh came out of Kurt's mouth.

"Okay. See you at lunch time."

"That's my boy." Camille smiled at him and headed for the door, but before she left, she turned to him. "You two will solve it. Now you see it all black, but if it's meant to be, it will be."

Kurt nodded and Camille left, leaving him alone in front of his computer. His friend could be crazy and wrong most of the time, but Kurt hoped she was right on this.

******

Kurt knew that Camille was right that morning about not shutting himself away. He glanced at the clock as it ticked over to 12pm, lunch time. He sighed as he grabbed his bag and headed for the door, and as soon as he opened it, he saw Camille waiting for him at the end of the hallway.

He walked up to her with a tight smile and she gave him a comforting pat on the arm. 

"Don't worry too much. Stick with me, baby." She told him and then threaded her arm through his, leading him down to the dining room.

When they got to the doors, she let Kurt pause and pull himself together a little before they walked in, and he was grateful to have a friend like her there. 

Pushing the door open, Kurt tried not to glance at the 3rd floor people sitting around the table on the left, but he couldn't help himself. He swung his eyes over to them and was surprised that Blaine wasn't there with them, and they all looked especially quiet today as they were chatting together. 

Kurt looked around the dining room, trying to spot where Blaine was, and he saw him. Sitting alone at a back table, with his head down and eating his lunch slowly. Why was Blaine sitting all the way over there?

Didn't he have friends to sit with?

"Come on, baby, let's go sit down." Camille said at his side and dragged him to their usual place. Nobody even glanced up at them as they got there.

When they were about to sit down, Kurt just had to look at Blaine again, who raised his head slightly at that moment, although his gaze was still fixed on the table.

Then Kurt got stuck in the spot. Blaine's face was a mess. His nose was a bit swollen and it had a slight purple color, and... was that a split lip? What the hell?

"Kurt, come here. You're staring at him, it's creepy." Camille told him in a low voice, to prevent anyone else from listening to them.

Kurt obeyed and sat next to his friend, but his stomach was tight. What had happened to Blaine?

"I have to ask. Did you do that to him?" Camille inquired, looking very serious.

Kurt turned to her, totally offended.

"I hope you meant it as a joke. Not a funny one, by the way." He grunted.

"I'm sorry, but you told me you had a fight and he shows up like this..."

Kurt felt like his mind wouldn't stop spinning, trying to imagine all the possible scenarios for which Blaine would have his face like that. Doubt and worry were killing him.

"Should I go ask him?" Kurt finally said. "Something has obviously happened to him, and he's not sitting with his friends from the 3rd floor, and..."

"Do what you want, but you've been avoiding him for three days and now you want to go up to him and have a conversation like that in the middle of the dining room? I don't know if it's a good idea."

Kurt sighed, throwing another quick glance at Blaine, who seemed completely focused on his lunch again as he ate it like some kind of automaton.

"You're right. I'll think about something, but not now. Please, tell me something to distract me."

Camille started talking to him about how she had spent Sunday at her friend's house watching nasty movies and eating junk food, and Kurt took only two bites of his sandwich trying to listen to her, but his mind and soul were a few tables to the right.

Kurt tried to engage in her conversation all through lunch, but every time Blaine moved out of the corner of his eyes, Kurt's attention snapped back to him. He looked like a complete mess and like someone had punched him. Kurt certainly hoped that wasn't the case. 

And the thing that bothered him the most was that he wasn't sitting with the rest of the guys from his work place upstairs. Maybe they had...no, Kurt would not think that about the people in this building. They may be manipulative and assholes sometimes, but he didn't think anyone here was capable of hurting somebody like Blaine.

He looked at him again when Camille turned to eye Blaine herself. 

"He looks so sad." She mumbled, and Kurt agreed feeling ashamed. 

Just then, Jonathan from the other table walked over to Blaine and tapped him on the shoulder. Kurt watched as Blaine looked up at him, and they had a little conversation before Blaine got his things together and left with him. Jonathan put a comforting arm around Blaine's shoulders as he guided him out. 

Kurt had no idea what to think or feel about watching the way Blaine moved, slumped and sad looking, like a heavy weight was resting on his shoulders. 

Camille sighed as she looked back at Kurt. 

"Come on, we'd better get back to our own offices; otherwise, we won't get any work done on time." She gathered her own things, throwing trash in the bin, before waiting for Kurt to do the same. 

On the walk back to his office, Kurt was thinking about how to check up on Blaine without talking to him by himself. Then he remembered a very energetic and lovable blonde haired guy who loved Blaine like a brother. Yes, he would text Dylan later and ask him to check on Blaine.

******

As soon as Kurt walked through his front door, he kicked off his shoes and pulled out his phone. He didn't want to wait a second to text Dylan. He walked slowly towards his couch and quickly typed out a little greeting. 

\- Hi, Dyl. How is everything going? - 

Why was he trying to remain sunny and positive like nothing was wrong? He had no idea. He only had to wait a few minutes before he got a reply. 

From: Dylan 

\- Hey, sweetheart. We're good here. I was wondering if I was going to get a text from you. How's things with you? :) - 

Kurt flopped onto the couch and decided not to avoid the topic any longer. After all, it was always easier to be honest over messages… like maybe he should have been with Blaine last week, his mind decided to remind him, and he frowned. 

\- Not very good, actually. Blaine and I had a fight on Friday, a bad one. And today he came to work with a bruised nose and a split lip. Did you talk to him this weekend? - 

He nervously waited to see what kind of reaction Blaine's best friends would have. Would they hate him now that he had hurt Blaine again? Would Dylan not reply? Would they drive to New York to kick his ass? 

He eyed the message he received not a second later. 

\- Holy shit! No, we didn't. Okay, don't worry too much, Kurt, okay? I'll call him and ask what's going on xx - 

A few seconds later, another message popped up. 

\- Nate's not working today, so I'll get him to call Blaine and find out what's wrong. But I want to ask, are you okay? x - 

Kurt sighed, but he felt a little more at ease knowing that Nate was going to talk to Blaine and that Dylan actually cared about him too. It did make him feel a little regretful about not texting them to see how they were last week. 

\- No, I'm not okay, but don't worry about me. I just want to know if Blaine is fine. But please, don't tell him that I told you about the fight, okay? I don't want him to think that I went to cry to his friends. - 

Kurt nervously bit his lip. If Nate was talking to Blaine on the phone, maybe he would bring up that Kurt had told them. Would it make it seem like Kurt was checking up on him? Treating him like a toddler that needs supervision?

From: Dylan 

\- Oh, Nate knows how to get information out of his best friend, don't worry. But I'm here for you Kurt, I told you I would be. We're friends too x - 

Kurt smiled a little in relief. 

\- I know, Dylan, and I really appreciate it. I just think I've screwed this up and I don't know how to fix it... - 

\- We can talk about it, honey pie. Did you want me to call you? - 

Kurt felt the tears building behind his eyes and trying to break free, but he took a deep breath to contain them as he typed a reply. It was incredible that Blaine's friends were there for him in this crisis, but he couldn't talk about it. It was all still so raw and painful. 

\- Is it okay if I say no? I'm tired and I don't feel like talking about it now, but... I need to know that he's okay. - 

\- Of course it's okay. I'll text you later, okay? But always know I'm here if you want to talk x - 

\- Okay. Thank you so much x -

Kurt put the phone on the table and decided to keep himself busy while waiting for Dylan to let him know about Blaine.

He changed his clothes and went to the kitchen before returning to the living room with the tub of ice-cream that he had planned to eat last Friday. He lay down on the couch and turned on the TV. 

A couple of hours later, a new message came from Dylan.

\- I don't want to worry you, Kurt, but we can't get a hold of Blaine. I think Nate is freaking out a little and wants to drive down there. We don't have his sister's number anyway, can you get her to try and call him? -

Shit. Blaine not wanting to talk to Nate was a very bad thing. For a second, Kurt thought about going to Blaine's apartment and talk to him, but maybe that would only make things worse. He didn't want to involve Brooke in this, but he didn't have a better idea either.

\- Okay, yeah, I'll text Brooke now. I'm sorry to have worried you guys, this is all my fault. -

\- It's not your fault, Kurt, so don't be sorry. A fight always involves two people. It's just unlike Blaine and it takes us 6 hours to get there, so we need someone closer. - 

He felt like crying again at Dylan's message. Of course a fight was between two people and it was both sides fault, but he felt more responsible for this mess. If he hadn't let fear get in the way of his friendship with Blaine... but he couldn't change it now. 

\- No, you don't need to come here. I'll see him at work tomorrow, I can always make a move to talk to him. I'll let you know if Brooke gets a hold of him tonight, okay? -

\- Yes, please, let us know how he is x -

Kurt thought about it for a minute and decided it was best to text Finn. Brooke would question Kurt about what was going on, but his brother probably wouldn't insist so much. 

\- Hey, Finn. How are you? Is Brooke feeling better? - 

\- Hey, bro. No, not really. She still feels pretty rough. How are you? - 

\- Oh, sorry. I'm fine. Hey, do you know if Brooke has talked to Blaine lately? - 

\- I don't think she's spoken to him since Wednesday. Why? Is something wrong? - 

Kurt loved Finn for his tact. His brother knew when Kurt wanted to keep something private, and then when it was important to push Kurt to open up. That's what made their brotherhood so unique and special. Kurt didn't want to go into detail about what actually happened, maybe another time, but his brother would need something so that he didn't worry about it or call their father. 

But the message had not surprised Kurt. Blaine wouldn't have called his sister about this, so of course she hasn't spoken to him. Kurt lowered his head and sighed. 

\- Blaine and I had a fight and I just wanted to know if Brooke knew how he was, that's all. - 

He explained a little too vaguely, but he knew Finn would understand. 

\- Are you okay, Kurt? Did you want me to come over? - 

\- I'm okay, Finn. But could you ask Brooke to call him with any excuse, please? - 

\- Sure, I can do that :) - 

Kurt yawned as he wrote a new message to Finn. The lack of sleep of these past few days seemed to be taking its toll. 

\- Thanks, brother. Let me know what he tells her, okay?

Kurt settled a bit more on the couch, leaving the phone close to his reach. He knew that Brooke wouldn't give up easily and he really hoped that she would get to speak to Blaine. 

The minutes passed and Kurt still had no news. He forced himself to focus on the TV so as not to worry even more about Blaine. Sure there was an explanation for his bruised face, but Kurt needed to be sure he was okay. 

However, before hearing from Finn, Kurt just fell asleep on the couch.


	16. Chapter 16

Kurt woke up to a very shrill noise. It was making his head hurt, and it was so loud. He stretched as he opened his eyes and realized suddenly that he had fallen asleep last night. On the couch, without even knowing if anyone had managed to get a hold of Blaine. 

The awful noise was his phone underneath his head, ringing loudly. He groaned as he pulled it away from his ear and sluggishly answered it without looking at who it was.

"Hello?" 

"Bro, thank god. You had me worried when you didn't answer last night. Everything alright?" Finn's relieved sounding voice filled his ear. 

"I fell asleep, Finn, sorry for worrying you." Kurt replied and then yawned against his hand, "so was there any news last night?" 

"Haven't you checked your messages?" Finn asked a little exasperatedly. 

"No, Finn, your call just woke me up, I'm on the couch. What's going on?" 

"Well, we couldn't get Blaine to answer last night. Brooke wanted to go there to see him for herself, but obviously she's still not very well." Finn explained and Kurt's eyes widened. 

Nobody could get Blaine on the phone yesterday? He pulled the phone away from his ear while Finn was still there and looked at the screen. 16 missed calls, and 12 messages. Damn. 

"I'm sorry, Finn. For worrying you." 

"That's okay. But Brooke really wants to know if Blaine shows up for work today, so will you let us know if he's okay?" Finn said almost sounding exactly like his wife, who had probably told him what to ask, and Kurt smiled a little. 

"I will. Listen, I have to go, I've got a lot of people to message back. I'll let you know when I see Blaine, okay?" Kurt told him and Finn made a humming sound. 

"Okay, and if you ever wanna talk about the fight, I'll be here for you, okay?" 

"Thanks Finn. Tell Brooke I said 'get well soon', yeah?" 

After saying their goodbyes and hanging up, Kurt began to scroll through his missed calls and his messages one at a time. 

7 missed calls from Dylan, 5 missed calls from Finn, 4 missed calls from an unknown number. He opened the messages and read through what he had missed last night.

Kurt read Dylan's first, hoping there was something new from him. 

From: Dylan 

\- Hey, darling, did you hear from Brooke? x - 

\- Kurt, is everything okay? Nate is really freaking out, and he never does. - 

\- Please, sweetheart, can you tell us anything? - 

Kurt felt terrible for worrying them like this. He quickly typed his reply. 

\- Hey, Dylan. I'm sorry, I fell asleep on the couch and just woke up. Brooke didn't get to talk to Blaine yesterday, but I'll probably see him at work in a while. I'll let you know, okay? x -

The next ones Kurt read were from an unknown number, although he quickly found out who it was. 

From: Unknown number 

\- Hey, Kurt, it's Nate. I keep calling Blaine but it's useless, I think he turned off his phone because now my calls go to the voice-mail. Have you heard from him? - 

\- Sorry to insist, I know Dylan is texting you too, but Blaine doesn't usually disappear like this. Something new? - 

Poor Nate. Kurt knew what a special bond he had with Blaine and understood that he was going crazy. He saved the number on his phone and answered him. 

\- Hi, Nate. I just texted Dylan, I fell asleep last night and just woke up by a call from my brother. Brooke couldn't talk to him, but I'll let you know if I see him today. Relax, everything will be okay :) -

Kurt entered his chat with Finn then. He had to smile as he imagined Brooke next to him probably making him nervous, which was reflected in his messages. 

From: Finn 

\- Sorry, bro, but Blaine didn't pick up Brooke's calls, she's called him more than 10 times. I will tell you if there are any changes. How are you? - 

\- Kurt, are you okay? - 

\- Bro, tell me you haven't turned off your phone too. That's not cool, you know? Your family worries. - 

\- Damn it, Kurt, we're going crazy here. - 

\- KURT??? - 

Kurt couldn't resist answering. 

\- Wow, bro, I'm sorry I gave you (or Brooke) a nervous breakdown last night. Talk to you later x -

The last two messages were from Camille. 

From: Camille 

\- Hey babe, did you talk to Blaine? - 

\- If you didn't, I want you to know that everything will be fine. If two people who look at each other like you do cannot solve their problems, I will lose faith in love x - 

Kurt sighed. He couldn't reply to that text right now, that would mean thinking about things that hurt, and he had to get ready to go to work.

When Kurt arrived at the magazine building, he was nervous. He hoped he would see that Blaine was alive and well after slipping off the radar last night. He wasn't expecting Blaine to be cheery and smiling at all, but what he needed to see was that he was okay. 

He stood in the lobby area at 7:40am and waited until 8, because he wanted to see every person that came through that door. 

At 7:56, Blaine walked inside. And Kurt let out a relieved breath that he had been holding tightly. He was slumped and looked like he hadn't slept, but he was here, and he was okay. The bruise on his face looked a little better and the scab on his upper lip looked smaller today too. 

Kurt pulled his phone out and text everyone who was worrying last night that he had seen Blaine come in to work, and he was okay.

A while later, when Kurt had sent his last article to Julia and he realized he had some free time until lunch, he felt to tempted to go up to the 3rd floor and talk to Blaine. He didn't know what he was going to say to him, but they had fought 4 days ago and Kurt missed him. 

He missed Blaine terribly. 

They hadn't been so long without talking since they decided to be friends. But that was not the worst. Kurt could handle the distance, even if Blaine didn't want to know anything about him, if he knew Blaine was okay. But what he had seen this morning was a guy who did breathe and move, but that's it. 

Under normal circumstances, Blaine gave off light. Every time he smiled or looked at you, everything suddenly seemed brighter. And since yesterday, it seemed like Blaine had lost that. At least the wounds on his face were a bit better. How the hell had he got that in the first place? 

Kurt had too many unanswered questions and too much want to talk to Blaine and ask him if there was any chance of at least getting what they had back. What made Kurt stay seated on his chair and check his mailbox instead of going out looking for Blaine was fear. He was afraid that Blaine would tell him that it was all over between them. The doubt hurt a little less than the reassurance.

******

Blaine felt terrible. 

After drinking himself half to death at the weekend, Monday came on him like a lion hunting a gazelle, and he felt he might die any second. It was nerve wracking walking into the same building where he knew Kurt was. He didn't want to see him, but at the same time he missed him. 

Jonathan and the guys in his department had been kind to him, and offered him a safe place to speak if he wanted to, but not expecting him to, which he appreciated. He had only been asked once about his face, but after shaking his head to indicate that he didn't want to tell them, Jonathan made everyone go back to work and leave Blaine alone. 

He went through work on that day feeling like a zombie. He couldn't even remember most of it. 

Monday night had been the worst night of his life. After receiving texts and calls from Nate and Dylan and Finn and Brooke, he had collapsed in puddles of tears and ignored everyone. He hadn't wanted to talk, he hadn't wanted to give anyone any details. He had just wanted to disappear for the night, which ended with him turning his phone off and crying himself to sleep. 

Tuesday morning when he woke up, his nose and lip hurt a lot. Both of them felt really tight and sore, and he managed to find enough time to go to the local drug store that morning before work to get some cover-up to put on it. It covered it pretty well, but it still hurt. 

Walking into work again had been extremely daunting for him, because he didn't want to converse with or see anyone. And even though he missed Kurt like hell, he was physically and emotionally done with everything. 

His insides ached for his soulmate, and his heart was warring with his mind over every little thing that he had said, that Kurt had said. He wanted to still be angry, he wanted to scream and to cry, but he didn't have the energy or will to fight anymore. It hurt too much. 

Sitting down at his desk, he sighed loudly. Jonathan stared over at him with concern for a second before leaving him to do what he wanted to do. Blaine really appreciated the man's tact and kindness. 

The only thing he knew he could do well was design. And he sped through the hours that morning, never once looking up from the computer screen, until Jonathan walked past and reminded him that it was lunch time. He sighed again. He hadn't had much of an appetite for a few days, only consuming large amounts of alcohol and ice-cream at home. 

When everyone else had left for lunch, Blaine spent a long while just staring at nothing, wondering if he should move or not. When he finally snapped out of little trance, he realized that lunch time was nearly over, so he grabbed his bag and headed for the dining room. 

He would try to eat, even though he really couldn't stomach anything right now. There was too much going on in his head. Everything seemed wrong. 

His whole world seemed to be spinning away and out of his control, and he could not find a way out of this dark place. Maybe it was just a matter of time, but Blaine knew deep down that this pit of despair was here to stay for a long while.

******

Kurt had to have lunch alone today. Camille had a meeting with Julia and had sent Kurt a message to let him know, to tell him to go to the dining room anyway and not stay in his office, and to scold him for not having answered her last night. All things considered, perhaps eating on his own without having to explain anything was not so bad. 

Blaine wasn't in the dining room when he arrived, and every time the door opened, Kurt's head would automatically snap up, expecting to find him. 

But he finished his salad and his coffee, and with 15 minutes to go until lunch was over, there was no sign of Blaine in the dining room. Kurt took a few deep breaths, and knew he had to do something. 

He tossed the empty coffee cup into the trash, picked up his bag and walked out of the dining room, and right there in the hallway, briskly getting there, was Blaine, who suddenly stopped in his tracks. 

They looked at each other. They stared at each other for a few seconds or an hour, neither of them could tell. 

But at certain point, that wasn't enough for Kurt. After what happened, he couldn't have Blaine standing there, looking at him with all those emotions contained in his eyes, and do nothing. 

His hands itched to touch him, he needed to hear his voice. 

"Blaine..." Kurt said in a voice so soft it sounded like a whisper. 

"No, Kurt." Blaine shook his head and took a step back. 

"Please, I just..." Kurt tried again, but fell silent when he saw that Blaine looked like he was about to cry. 

Kurt had never seen him so defeated, and his heart ached in his chest. 

"I can't, I'm sorry." Blaine started backing up like he was having an internal struggle, because he couldn't be close to Kurt but he couldn't break eye contact either. 

Finally, he ended up turning around and disappearing in front of Kurt, who heard how the dining room door opened behind him and most of his colleagues had finished their lunch time and returned to their work stations. 

Being surrounded by people just then helped him act like everything was fine again, and he just followed the same path as the rest, although inside he felt more broken than ever. 

Kurt slowly turned at the end of the hallway and walked back to his office, pushing down the pain, even though he could feel it overwhelming his entire being. 

He felt like such a mess. He was trying to act like the professional he was, but he could feel the emotions inside him ready to burst out any moment since he had seen Blaine run from him. Blaine had looked terrified and Kurt was now struggling with containing his sadness and guilt over the look in his friend's eyes. 

As he got to his office door, he heard Julia call his name, so he turned with a fake smile. He tried to greet her like he usually would, but Julia had sharp eyes and a kind heart, and as he saw her smile fall, he knew she noticed his soul breaking.

"Kurt...are you okay?" She asked kindly, pulling a tissue from her pocket and handing it to him, "you look like you're about to cry." 

"I erm...I-" He tried to say it was nothing, he tried to play it off, but as he was speaking the words, the stinging in his eyes became worse and the tears built up. 

His vision became a little blurred by water as he took the tissue from her hand gently and dabbed his eyes. She was staring at his face intensely, and then gave his shoulder a comforting pat. 

"You look like you're having a rough day, Kurt. Why don't you go home?" She said gently, and he shook his head at first, but she looked at him a little more firmly, "Kurt, I won't have workers here if they need a break, and you look like you need one. So go home and rest, honey." 

Kurt sniffed once and then nodded at her, trying to smile again but failing, and she nodded back at him. 

"I'll have Camille and Heather take over your work load for this afternoon, don't worry. You just concentrate on you today, okay?" 

"Th-thank you." He stammered out before going into his office and grabbing his things together, and she gave him another small sympathetic smile as he walked back past her to head downstairs. 

Once clear of the lobby and the doors, he bolted for his car around the corner, literally throwing himself into the driver's seat and then he let it out. All the anguish, all the frustration, all the hurt came streaming down his face in hot streaks of tears. He sobbed and placed his hands and forehead against the steering wheel. His chest hurt and his breathing shortened as he gasped around broken moans and grunts. 

He didn't know how long he sobbed loudly to himself, but somewhere in the middle of it he had dialed his brother's number. He needed comfort and love right now, he needed his family.

"Hey, Kurt, I was going to call you later-" Finn started, and then cut himself off when he heard a loud sob on the line, "Kurt?"

"Finn, I..." He couldn't say more, the tears barely let him breathe at that moment.

"Kurt...it's alright. Kurt, breathe, bro...it's me. Where are you right now?" Finn said as calmly as he could, even though his voice was a little shaky.

"I... I just got out of work." Kurt sniffled, wiping his face with his free hand. "My boss told me to go home."

"Okay. Please tell me you're not driving like this." Finn asked concerned.

"I'm in the car but I'm not driving. I need to calm down first. I don't know why I called you..." Kurt felt that little by little the air returned to his lungs. Hearing his brother's voice always calmed him.

"Well, you always said you liked my voice, maybe you needed it?" Finn laughed a little, "you gonna tell your big brother what's going on?"

"I don't like it when you're right." Kurt let out a small laugh, despite the fact that he felt a new wave of tears wetting his cheeks. "It's Blaine... I think he hates me."

"Why do you think that? Did something happen?"

"We saw each other after lunch and I tried, I don't know... talk to him? And he said he couldn't and left. He left me there, Finn, and his eyes..." Kurt sighed, trying to control a sob.

"His eyes what, Kurt?"

"There was so much pain in them, and he looked scared... and it's all my fault."

"It's not your fault, little brother. Fights happen." Finn said in a comforting way, trying to soothe with his words.

"But I've been pushing him away for days." Kurt confessed. "And now I have what I deserve."

"No, Kurt, you don't deserve that. It's just what happens. After a fight...you always need time to heal. And both of you are dealing with a lot of pain right now." Finn tried to explain as best he could, "I can't tell you how many fights me and Brooke have had over the years...it's tough."

"But it's not the same, Finn." Kurt wiped his tears away again. "You and Brooke have been together for half your life; you guys are so in love and can get over anything. Us... it's over even before we started. And I'm going to see him every day, with that abandoned puppy look in his face and I won't bear it." He leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes in frustration.

"Well...it's always hard to see your soulmate in pain…"

Kurt opened his eyes wide, straightening up. 

"What did you just say?" He asked in a small voice.

"Erm...I- well..." Finn stammered in answer, and then let out a small nervous chuckle.

"Finn Hudson, I swear to god..." Kurt's sadness had been replaced by confusion and unease. "Don't you dare lie to me, why did you say that?"

Finn sighed down the line. 

"Okay, but hear me out before you start going off on your long speech about soulmates being fake, alright?" Finn said, and then didn't even give Kurt time to answer as he added, "a couple of weeks ago, when Brooke and I had that huge fight, she told me that Blaine had told her that...the night you two...you know…had sex, he felt the soulmate connection to you."

Then Kurt's reaction was the last Finn had expected. He chuckled. 

"Okay, I have to thank you, at least you distracted me for a moment. You're very funny, bro."

"Kurt, I'm not joking, okay?" Finn said seriously, "I know what you believe, but this is real...after all of the time you and Blaine spent together, and then you getting him a job at your work place...I thought maybe you had figured it out."

Kurt stopped laughing. He suddenly remembered all the references Blaine had made to soulmates these past few weeks, and how he seemed really hurt every time Kurt told him he didn't believe in it. 

Was that what he meant with his words before leaving his apartment after the fight? But it couldn't be... had Blaine really felt that? No... soulmates didn't exist, Blaine had to be wrong. 

"Finn... this doesn't make any sense."

"What doesn't make sense? The fact that you two had chemistry right from the start? That you enjoy spending time together? That you feel overwhelmed by the mere thought of him?" Finn asked, and Kurt could hear the smile in his tone, "trust me, it's the way I feel about my wife. My soulmate."

Blaine his soulmate? No, not at all. It's true that he felt so attracted to Blaine, cared deeply for him and maybe, just maybe, he was starting to fall in love with him, but soulmates? 

No, that was a fairy tale. Despite what Finn and Brooke, or Nate and Dylan, or even his dad said... 

Then Kurt knew. He had to talk to his father. He was the only person who could help him with this. 

"I have to hang up, Finn. I need to go home and think about all of this, okay? We'll talk later." 

And without giving Finn time to say goodbye, Kurt hung up the phone, threw it on the passenger seat, and after fastening his seat belt, he started the car. 

After 15 minutes, he was parking outside of his own apartment building, and he dialed his father's number as he ran up the stairs to his door. 

"Kurt?" Burt answered a little wearily. 

"Dad...I erm…I need to talk to you. Are you busy?" Kurt stammered out a little nervously as he tried to fumble around in his bag for his keys one handed and open the door.

"No, buddy, you know I always have time for you. Are you at work?" Burt asked, and there was a pause on the line where Kurt just knew that his father was checking the time. "Is everything alright?" 

"No…I was sent home." Kurt admitted, but cut off the reply he knew was coming as he continued, "I'll tell you later...I have something I need to ask. And it might seem out of nowhere, but it's important and I need you to be totally honest with me." 

"Okay. Ask me what you want, Kurt, I'll do my best to help you." 

Kurt smiled a little, because he knew he had the best father in the world. 

"What does a soulmate connection feel like?" Kurt asked, almost feeling stupid for asking, but he needed to. 

"Oh..." Burt sounded shocked, and Kurt knew his father was holding back questions about why he needed to know about that when he believed it didn't matter, but he held his tongue, for which Kurt would be forever grateful. "Well, it feels like you've suddenly found something you didn't know you were looking for. It's like a part of you is connected to that person, and the moment you feel the bond you just want to be close to them, meet them, spend more time with them. And the heat... it comes from your chest and spreads throughout your body. It's overwhelming, in a good way. When you touch them, all your skin seems to wake up and need that warmth." 

Kurt nodded slowly at that as he thought about it all. Heat, check; closeness, check; overwhelming, check...but he didn't understand. It was just like falling in love with someone, he could swear he had felt those things before with Jamie. 

He thought back to Blaine. The way he greeted Kurt with a smile made butterflies burst in his stomach, which then turned into fireworks exploding every time Blaine laughed. Blaine's eyes held so much wonder, and they had so much passion and care in that, and when Kurt stared into them, he could be lost in his gaze for hours without knowing.

But still, for Kurt, that all pointed to attraction and love. Not something like soulmates. 

"Then maybe he's not the one." He mumbled to himself, but his father heard it. 

"Who's not the one, kiddo?" 

"Blaine. I don't think I've felt that stuff...not like you described it. I mean, being with him is amazing…and he makes me feel alive, but...I don't know, something is missing."

"Kurt, do you remember when we watched magic shows on TV, and I used to tell you 'I don't understand that trick', and you always told me 'magic is not about understanding, dad, you have to believe in it'? This is the same, son. You can have the connection in front of your eyes, but if you don't believe in it, you will never really feel it." 

"It can't be just that simple, dad. Believing in fairies doesn't make them real." He responded a little indignantly, like a child, and his father laughed. 

"And I understand, because you've never seen a fairy. But you've seen how I looked at your mother, you've seen how Finn smiles at Brooke... why is it so hard to believe? What are you afraid of?" 

"I'm not afraid...something just doesn't add up, that's all." 

He heard his father sigh. 

"Kurt, my baby boy, sometimes all it takes is just giving in, letting yourself go. I think you should stop thinking so much and enjoy the experience." 

Kurt could feel tears of frustration building at those words. He hated letting go, he hated not being in control. He hated having his life decided for him, like he couldn't choose his own person for himself. He hated that fate had to pick the best one for him. 

"Kurt?" Burt urged down the phone, and Kurt realized he was sobbing quietly into it, holding onto the phone tightly as if holding onto his father. 

"I think I am scared, dad." He said softly and Burt made a noise in agreement. 

"What exactly are you scared of?" 

"I'm scared of not being in control of myself...not being the real me, just some part of someone else." He finally admitted, and all the weight that he had been holding for days now seemed to melt away into nothing as he said the words out loud. "I'm also scared that we think it's real, and maybe in the end... it's not." 

"I think you're wrong, kiddo. Finding your soulmate doesn't mean losing who you are, it means having someone by your side that helps you be the best version of yourself every day. It doesn't subtract, it just adds to you."

"But then...how would I know for definite? Does it really happen the way you said it does?" 

"The moment you allow yourself to believe that there may be someone out there for you, when you have that person in front of you, anything can activate the bond: a look, a touch, a kiss... I know you guys slept together and you didn't feel it, but it doesn't mean it's not him, and even less so if you were drunk... alcohol doesn't help in these situations." 

Kurt could sense the smirk on his father's face and he wanted to laugh with him, but there was something serious about this whole thing now, and for Kurt it was a big step in the other direction. He had believed for so long that 'bonds' and 'soulmates' and 'connections' were all just a fairy tale, and now…

If he wanted to find his own, he had to completely turn his life around and believe in it. It was going to be tough. 

"I guess I need to think about it." He eventually told his dad after a long pause. 

"Yeah, do it. I don't want you to feel like I'm trying to push you toward him, but it's the first time you've asked me about soulmates in years, son, and if you want my opinion, that means something. That guy is making you question what you thought you were clear about, and you should find out how you really feel." 

Kurt nodded at that. He needed to find out, definitely. 

"Thanks, dad... for everything. I have to go, but I'll call you later." He smiled as his father gave him one last sigh. 

"Okay, kiddo. I love you... just don't be afraid to let someone else love you too." 

"I love you, dad. Bye." 

"Bye, Kurt."

Kurt hung up the phone and sat on the couch, feeling like his head was going to explode. The conversation with his dad had resolved some of his doubts, but had also added new ones. There was a lot of information to take in. 

Okay, he had decided to believe for a moment that soulmates existed, that the love he dreamed of as a child was really something achievable. Now, the guy who had made him feel the most in his entire life thought he was his. Was that possible? 

Kurt knew that his relationship with Blaine was special. Despite the situation they were in now, he had felt closer to Blaine in a month than to Jamie in three years. Their connection was strong, and when they touched... Kurt might not have felt that warmth that everyone talked about, but there was a tingle, a feeling that it was okay, and he never wanted it to end. 

What if Kurt had felt the bond when they had sex and didn't remember it because of the alcohol? It was an option, although it's true that Kurt remembered everything that happened that night quite clearly. 

Was his father right, and by not believing in it he was not allowing himself to experience it? For the first time in years, Kurt was determined to open his mind to that possibility. 

Blaine had felt it; he would never lie to Brooke about that. He always sounded so convinced when they talked about soulmates and seemed to try to get Kurt to believe it too. 

Maybe he did need time to think about all this. Time... Kurt had been asking Blaine for time for weeks and Blaine had given it to him, but now it was all screwed up. What if it was time to stop waiting? What if all he had to do was act once and for all and see if Blaine was really his soulmate? 

He had to fight against his fear and find out for sure, for his own sake and Blaine's. That way they both would know if maybe they should part their ways forever, or if they had something unique that was worth fighting for.

Within the next few hours, with his decision to try this soulmates thing set in stone, he found himself parked outside Blaine's apartment building. It was past 4pm already, so all he had to do was to wait for him to show up. 

And he did. At 4:26, Blaine's car pulled into its space and Blaine got out trudging up to the doors and going inside.

Kurt gave Blaine 10 minutes to get into his apartment and settle, before making his own way up until he was knocking on the door of that very familiar apartment. 

As the door opened, Kurt prepared himself. A pair of bright hazel eyes widened in shock and those rosy pink lips dropped open. 

"Kurt?"


	17. Chapter 17

"Hi. Can I come in?" Kurt asked, sure his eyes were screaming 'please, don't say no'.

Blaine stood frozen, struggling with either pulling Kurt inside or pushing the door closed. But after a few seconds, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

"Erm...yeah, sure." He finally choked out as he stood back and allowed Kurt to pass.

"Thank you." Kurt gave him a small smile and walked into the apartment. 

When he got to the living room, Kurt couldn't help looking around. There were clothes lying haphazardly on the furniture, a blanket on the couch, as if Blaine had been sleeping there, and several empty alcohol bottles and cans on the coffee table and floor. Kurt's heart plummeted inside him... this wasn't good. 

He turned to Blaine, who was staring at the ground with his hands shoved into his pockets. 

"First of all, I want to tell you I'm sorry." Kurt started.

Blaine snapped his head up to look at Kurt, surprised. He was so sure that Kurt was going to make some kind of comment about the state of his apartment, or about what exactly went on at work. 

He wasn't expecting an apology. And it really threw him off balance. 

"Erm...sorry for what?"

"For the way I've treated you at work. You were right, about everything. I pushed you away from me and lied to you, and you don't deserve it. I'm so sorry."

Blaine did smile a little at him, but then frowned and looked back down at the floor. It was great that Kurt realized exactly what he was doing last week, but somehow it didn't make him feel any better. 

"I erm...I'm sorry too, for not understanding how much pressure I put on you to be with me at work. I know I was a little pushy, but-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kurt cut him off. He couldn't take it anymore, he needed Blaine to give him an explanation about the soulmates thing.

"Tell you...what?"

"That you felt it. When we spent the night together."

Blaine gulped. He was horrified. Was this rejection now? Oh god... 

He started shaking, and ran his hand nervously through his hair as tears built up in his eyes. 

"Kurt, I'm sorry. If Dylan has been on your case, I swear I told them both to lay off. I-I-" He choked off. He couldn't find the words anymore, he was in a downward spiral now. 

This was it. Kurt was going to tell him he didn't believe in it and that it was over.

Kurt couldn't bear to see Blaine like this, he looked like he was about to pass out. He moved a little closer and gently placed his hands on Blaine's arms, afraid that he would pull away. 

"Blaine, it's okay. Dylan didn't tell me anything, I just want... I need to hear you say it. I need to know if it's true that you felt it."

Blaine had braced himself for awful words, and when they didn't come, he looked back up at Kurt, his eyes shining with tears. He nodded slowly. 

"Yeah, it's true...I did...I did feel it." He said slowly, his breathing hitching a little.

It was true. Blaine had felt the bond, he had felt that Kurt was his soulmate. Kurt didn't know how to feel, his heart seemed to leap out of his chest and he thought he was going to cry at any moment. 

He looked at Blaine, lost in his eyes for a moment. He had to know for sure, he needed to find out if he felt the same. 

"Forgive me for this." 

And then, he leaned in and pressed his lips onto Blaine's. 

Heat. It was sudden and intense. Kurt felt like someone had suddenly set a fire inside him, in his chest and every inch of his skin. His knees turned to jelly, but he felt stronger than ever, because he was with him.

Blaine squeaked a little at the kiss, but all of the awful feelings he had been feeling over the last week disappeared, and he kissed back. 

Joy and warmth started to fill up his entire body. It was the most happy he had ever been, but something in his head warned him that things were more complicated than just this moment. 

With a great amount of will and inner strength, he pushed Kurt backwards gently, disconnecting their lips. And then he took a few steps backwards, making sure they both weren't touching before asking, "why did you do that?"

Kurt couldn't speak. He had never felt so overwhelmed by his feelings as at this moment. His entire body was begging him to go back to Blaine, the lack of contact was almost painful. 

There were so many things going through him, a lot of emotions running through his heart and thoughts running through his mind... the only way he could handle all of that was to let it explode out somehow, and he started crying.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Kurt covered his face with his hands and began to sob.

Blaine struggled with his need to comfort his soulmate or the need to keep himself safe, but in the end he couldn't just stand and watch Kurt crying. He moved forward and wrapped his arms around Kurt's chest, pulling them both closer. 

He lifted his chin over Kurt's shoulder and whispered soothing words to him.

"It's alright, Kurt, I'm sorry too. It's gonna be okay."

Kurt immediately wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck and clung to him, as if he needed him to breathe. He cried out all his fears, insecurities and doubts. 

After a few minutes, he felt good enough to separate a little from Blaine, although not completely. He needed to have him close. 

"I just felt it." Kurt confessed. "I know this doesn't magically fix things, but I need you to know. I felt it right now."

Blaine smiled at him like he used to before they had difficulties, but it dropped again soon after. He couldn't find a place for his feelings right now. It had all been so up and down lately that he was still confused. He was happy that Kurt had felt it, that he finally knew they were soulmates, but he was still down. 

He couldn't help it.

Kurt felt disappointed. He expected a little more joy from Blaine, but he understood that what had happened between them in the last few days was still there, like a wall that prevented them from reaching each other. 

He looked at Blaine and decided to drop the subject for now. There was another thing he wanted to know. 

"Are you going to tell me what happened to your face?"

Blaine furrowed his brows and avoided Kurt's eyes a little. 

"I erm...I got drunk on Friday...actually, I was drunk all weekend." Blaine said with shame, "but on Friday I went for a walk in Central Park...I was wasted, it was so bad I couldn't see, so I fell over, and well...this." He pointed to his face. 

He took a step away and then walked around Kurt, picking up his mess on the couch so that he could offer Kurt a seat.

Kurt sighed before walking over and sitting next to him on the couch. 

"I'm glad you didn't get into a fight, but... Blaine, anything could have happened to you. You can't do that, you can't drink like this."

"Is that the only thing you have to say to me right now?" Blaine said with a little more bite than usual, all the happiness from before fading away, "I didn't get drunk on purpose, alright? I just...after our fight, I wanted to just forget about everything."

"I wanted to forget too!" Kurt noticed that his voice was rising, and he quickly lowered his tone. "I... I spent the whole weekend crying in bed. I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but you have friends and family who care about you... I care about you. You could have fallen in the middle of the road, someone could have hurt you..." 

Kurt felt the bile rising in his throat just thinking about it, and shook his head to dismiss the idea. 

"Does it hurt?" He asked, pointing to his face.

Blaine remained silent for a few seconds, his lips pulled together tightly. 

"Yes, it does." He said, his voice a little sad and dull.

All Kurt wanted was to close the distance between them and kiss Blaine's pain away, but he couldn't. He carefully placed his hand on Blaine's knee and squeezed it lightly. That simple gesture sent a spark of electricity throughout his body. 

"You should take some painkillers, you don't have to play strong to impress me." He teased, hoping to relax the atmosphere a bit.

Blaine pushed Kurt's hand off of his knee and stood up. He walked behind the couch and placed his hands on the back of it, chewing his bottom lip nervously. 

"I can't just switch back to normal, Kurt. If you want normal conversation, I haven't got it in me right now, okay?" He said quickly, "if you want us to get past this wall between us, then we need to talk, but not about me, or my drinking, or my nose, or my complete fucking sad story. We need to talk about what we're going to do about us." 

He sighed then and calmed himself down. 

"I can't be stuck in limbo anymore."

Blaine's words hurt like a knife, as did the fact that he had pulled away from him again. Had Blaine felt that every time he'd run off? Now he understood. 

Either way, Blaine was right. No more games, no more light talk. They had to face the real problems between them. 

"Okay, you're right, I'm sorry. Can you sit again, please? Don't worry, I'll keep my distance."

Blaine sighed and walked around to sit back down, but he took Kurt's hand to stop him from moving away from him. 

"You don't need to move away, but we need to talk seriously." Blaine gave him a tight little smile.

Kurt breathed in relief, though he tried to hide it. 

"What do you want to talk about?" He asked.

"I want to start from Wednesday at work last week." Blaine said with a serious but soft look. "I want to know the real reason you ignored me. Please."

Kurt took a few seconds to think about exactly what he wanted to tell him. He needed Blaine to understand. 

"When you showed up in the dining room on Monday and hugged me, everyone looked at us. Everyone. I've never felt like this at work. It reminded me... it reminded me of high school. When my dad found out I was being bullied, the boy who abused me the most was suspended and everyone knew what had happened."

He took a deep breath to keep from falling apart as the worst memories of his life returned to him. 

"For the next few weeks, everyone looked at me. Some of them with pity, others blaming me for losing one of the best players on the team. That's why I hate being in the spotlight, I can't handle having people gossip behind my back. So on Monday, when I got back to my office, I wanted to think that maybe I was overreacting, but some colleague asked me if we were together, someone who possibly doesn't even know when my birthday is, and I felt overwhelmed. That's why I ignored you on Wednesday, to try to stop all that."

Blaine nodded with a frown.

"So why didn't you tell me? I would have stayed away if I had known, Kurt." He said as he squeezed his hand.

"I don't know." Kurt admitted. "It was a mistake, now I know, but I thought that if a few days passed, the rumors would calm down. You're not like me, you don't care what others say, and I didn't want you to change the way you are because of my trauma."

"If we're going to keep things that make us uncomfortable to ourselves, we'll only end up hurting each other." Blaine told him, "I really thought that I had done something wrong, that you didn't want us to be friends anymore. But then those texts after work were just like normal, and I was so confused and angry...I'm sorry, but I just couldn't do it anymore." 

He let out a small breath, before adding, "being around you was difficult, but being ignored by you was like a stab in the heart."

"Did you really think I didn't want us to be friends anymore?" Kurt looked down in embarrassment, feeling a sting in his stomach. "Blaine, no. That's the last thing I wanted. I tried to make up for my behaviour with those messages so you wouldn't think there was something wrong between us, and now I see that I just confused you even more. I'm so sorry."

Blaine pulled Kurt's hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it, before rubbing his thumb over it soothingly. 

"Don't worry too much about that now. You apologized and it's in the past, and as long as you always tell me about stuff like this, we won't get all messed up about it again, right?" Blaine asked him with a smile.

Kurt heaved a sigh when he felt the kiss Blaine had placed on his hand all over his body. The feeling was amazing, but he didn't get carried away by it. Blaine was waiting for an answer. 

"I won't hide anything like that from you again, I promise." He looked him square in the eye, to make sure Blaine knew he was telling the truth. "And since I'm being honest... when I realized that I was messing things up, I wanted to approach you, but you were always surrounded by people and... I got jealous." He mumbled, his cheeks turning red.

Blaine chuckled a little. 

"That's the other thing. Does it really bother you about me making friends at work?"

"No." Kurt assured him. "Not at all. I know it's important to you. I'm more reserved and prefer to have only one or two trusted people, but it doesn't mean that you can't make friends. You're charming and interesting, I never wanted to imply that they only approached you because they found you attractive. But I still think that some of them would jump on you if they could."

Blaine frowned a little at that. Even though it was a comment about other people coming onto him, it did bring up something else. 

"Courtney has been giving me the eyes." Blaine winced as he thought about it, "but, erm...I was only making friends because you weren't around. I kind of need to feel that I'm somebody in a work place, and not another drone. I don't like feeling that I'm only there to serve a company, like before."

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand.

"Blaine, even though I'm around, you should make friends." He said, avoiding on purpose the comment about Courtney. "One of the reasons I wanted you to change jobs was because I knew you couldn't be yourself there. I don't want you to feel that way in the magazine because of me."

"I know, and I appreciated you helping me get it. You know, I've been telling everyone that I work with that you did help me, and that we were friends." Blaine told him. "Well... maybe now we're more than friends."

Blaine was hopeful, but he hoped Kurt wouldn't think he was being pushy.

A smile slowly spread across Kurt's face, who looked at Blaine with bright eyes.

"Yeah, I guess we are."

Blaine smiled back at him, and then coughed a little uncomfortably as he looked down at their joined hands. 

"Just one more thing?" He asked a little nervously.

Kurt nodded, trying to control the excitement he felt. 

"Sure, tell me."

"When we argued on Friday, erm...I'm sorry about bringing up Jamie and the cheating thing. I wanted you to be hurt as much as I was, and I know that was the wrong thing to do. I couldn't be more sorry for that, but... the thing is," Blaine paused as he pulled his hand from Kurt's to wring his hands together nervously, "erm...does my past affect this now? Does it affect us?"

"Oh, that." Kurt knew it was a matter of time before that topic came up. "I'm so sorry, I should have never thrown that in your face, especially when I was the one to ask you about it." 

He reached for Blaine's hand again. He just needed the contact.

"What I said in Central Park was true. I only care about the person you are now, not about your past. But... that number does make me feel insecure. I had only been with Jamie before you, and I hate to think that one day could come where I'm not enough for you. But it's my issue, it has nothing to do with you."

"But you trust me, right?" Blaine asked quickly, "I would never cheat on you or hurt you like that. I haven't been with anyone else since the night we had together."

"I know." Kurt smiled. "Of course I trust you. I wouldn't be sitting here talking about being more than friends if I didn't trust you." 

He straightened a bit on the couch, tense at the question that was gathering in his mind. 

"But you... are you sure you don't judge me for cheating on Jamie? Are you afraid I would do that to you?" He asked, feeling terribly guilty for a moment.

"No, no, I've never been afraid of that. After feeling our connection, I knew there was no way that we could fight being with each other, and I'm sorry that you went through so much after that. But no...believe me, I never thought that you would do that to me." 

Blaine pulled him closer before wrapping his arms around Kurt's shoulders, nuzzling the side of his face against Kurt's neck gently.

Kurt sighed in pleasure at the contact, putting his arms around Blaine's waist and just staying like that, breathing peacefully as he felt Blaine's chest close to his.

Blaine turned his head and pressed his nose and lips against Kurt's neck until a sharp pain reminded him of his injury and he pulled back with an "Ow."

Kurt couldn't help but giggle at the sound, pulling away a bit and cupping Blaine's face with his hand. 

"It really hurts, huh, baby?"

Blaine laughed a little. His smile was bigger now, and his eyes had their usual brightness as he stared back into Kurt's eyes. He locked gazes with his soulmate and let the joy he felt flow all over him. 

"Maybe my nose needs a kiss to get better?" He asked a little cheekily.

"Well, if that's going to make it hurt less..." 

Kurt smirked at Blaine and leaned into him, gently kissing the tip of his nose, as Blaine closed his eyes and a tiny happy smile made its way across his lips.

"Better?" He asked.

Blaine opened one eye and stared at Kurt. 

"Is that it?" He laughed at the look on Kurt's face.

"I don't want to hurt you." Kurt said, although there was a playful smile on his lips.

"You know you don't have to actually kiss my nose to make it stop hurting, right?" Blaine said as he inched a little closer, smile still on his face, "it works just as well on lips."

"But you have a split lip, are you sure that's a good idea?" Despite his words, Kurt couldn't take his eyes off Blaine's mouth as his breath hitched slightly.

"It's only a little cut now, it doesn't really hurt anymore." Blaine told him as honestly as he could, and even moved his lips around to show Kurt that it didn't, "but you don't have to. You know I'm only playing around, we can do this at your pace."

"Can you shut up so I can kiss you, please?" Kurt laughed when he saw Blaine quickly close his mouth, and he didn't wait a second to kiss him. 

He placed both hands on the back of Blaine's neck, playing with his curls as their lips slid together.

Blaine hummed happily into the kiss, parting his lips a little to slide them more easily in between and around Kurt's, but not pushing for more.

He had missed this, he had missed Kurt so much. He placed his hands quickly onto the sides of Kurt's face, thumbs tracing his cheekbones lightly.

Kurt had never felt anything like that with a simple kiss. But it wasn't a simple kiss; it was with Blaine, his soulmate. He tightened his embrace as he decided to go a little further. He didn't want to rush things, but he needed that kiss not to end, so he brushed Blaine's lower lip with the tip of his tongue tentatively.

Blaine sighed out happily as he opened his mouth for Kurt's tongue, pushing his own out and touching them together. It sent a spark of electricity down his spine, and shrouded his heart with warmth. Then he pushed more insistently though, deeper and deeper until he was moaning lightly into Kurt's mouth.

When Kurt felt Blaine's moans, he knew he was about to lose control, so against his own wishes, he broke the kiss. He rested his forehead on Blaine's, breathing heavily. 

"How is your nose?" He asked, trying to cool down a bit.

"Much, much better." Blaine breathed out slowly, and turned his face up to press a kiss to the tip of Kurt's nose, and then pulled back with a chuckle, "I haven't had dinner yet, do you want to order something and join me?" He asked as he smiled up at Kurt.

"Yes, please. I haven't eaten properly for days." Kurt smiled back at Blaine, stroking his face lovingly.

"Well, lucky enough for you, I saved the number of the place we ordered from at Finn and Brooke's, so Chinese it is." Blaine said with a wink and then placed a kiss against Kurt's palm before moving away and getting up for his phone.

Kurt sighed and stared at Blaine as he ordered the food. Just a few hours ago, he was in his car, crying for not knowing how to sort things out, and now everything was different. Different and wonderful. 

When he stretched out his legs and one of his feet touched an empty beer can, Kurt decided to get up and throw all the empty cans and bottles in the trash. It hurt to think that Blaine had felt bad enough to try to forget everything by drinking all of that.

Blaine finished up on the phone call with a smile and he turned to tell Kurt that dinner would be there in 30 minutes, but he saw that Kurt was clearing away the empty beer cans from the other night. He frowned and quickly went over to help him. 

"Kurt, no, let me do that. I'm so sorry you had to see this." Blaine said avoiding Kurt's gaze, ashamed, "I know I have a problem...I use alcohol to numb myself and I know that's not the way to do it."

He began picking up some of the cans and bottles, and carried them all to the bin in the kitchen.

Kurt followed Blaine into the kitchen with a couple of bottles in his hands, and as soon as he threw them away, he walked over to Blaine and took his hands. 

"I wasn't judging you before, I only care about you. I want to help you, and I don't mean just to pick up some empty cans. When you find yourself in a situation where you would usually drink, I want you to lean on me instead, okay?"

Blaine nodded in agreement, squeezing Kurt's hands lightly. 

"That sounds like a good idea. I promise I'll come to you when I'm worried or tense, and I won't use alcohol to drown stuff out." He said with a smile, leaning in to seal his lips with Kurt's. 

It was an amazing feeling now that he could get to kiss his soulmate, and touch him, and hug him. He had missed Kurt as a friend, but he had never known this sensation, and he really enjoyed it.

******

When dinner arrived, they had the apartment all tidy and clean, and Blaine had told Kurt how grateful he was that he didn't judge him for it and helped him. 

Once all of the dishes were set down on the table, they both decided it would be much better to eat face to face. Even though they both wanted to sit next to each other, it was a lot easier to talk this way. 

Blaine had only taken one mouthful of food before he had the first question. 

"I wanted to ask, since you now know that we're soulmates... what does that mean exactly?" Blaine asked softly, but then casually added, "I don't mind not being out at work, but do I get to call you my boyfriend?"

Kurt, who was about to taste some chicken curry, opened his mouth in surprise at the question and put his fork back on the table. 

"Well, I... I think..." Kurt stammered before clearing his throat. "I know you've never been in a relationship before and I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, but... yes, I would like to think that you're my boyfriend. But it's okay if you don't."

Blaine gave Kurt a pointed look. 

"Kurt, are you kidding me? Of course I want you to be my boyfriend!" He grinned excitedly, and then leaned across the table to hold Kurt's chin as he placed a kiss on his lips, "I know I've never had one, but I'm excited about this."

"Really? Are you sure?" Kurt smiled at him, his face glowing with happiness.

"Kurt, come on, darling, I'm totally sure!" He chuckled, grabbing Kurt's hand that he wasn't using to eat with and placing kisses all over it.

"Okay, okay, I believe you!" Kurt laughed, enjoying the ministrations. However, he became serious before speaking again. "Blaine, regarding work... can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Anything, sweetheart." Blaine gave him a big smile.

"I don't want to ignore you again, just thinking about it breaks my heart. I would like to have lunch with you and smile at you if we meet in a hallway, but... is it okay if we try not to be too... affectionate in public? You don't have to lie to your friends if they ask you about us, but I'd rather not feed the rumors."

Blaine gave him a reassuring smile, threading his fingers through the fingers of one of Kurt's hands. 

"Kurt, I told you. As long as we talk to each other about this, everything will be fine. And yes, of course I don't mind lowering the PDA at work...I mean, it's a work place, not a brothel."

"A brothel, huh?" Kurt chuckled, but he brought Blaine's hand to his lips to kiss each one of his knuckles. "Thank you. And I promise I'll tell you if there's any problem."

"Hey, as long as I get cuddle time after work, I'll be fine." Blaine gave him another wink and a cheeky grin. "Gosh, Dylan is going to be so excited." He laughed then.

"Oh my god, he's gonna scream a lot." Kurt covered his mouth with the hand that wasn't holding Blaine's, hiding a grin. "When are you going to tell them?"

"Maybe I should text them today. I know they've been trying to get hold of me for the last two days." Blaine said with a little guilty look.

"Yeah, you probably should. It's my fault they're worried, though." Kurt admitted. "I texted Dylan yesterday. I saw your face and freaked out. I wanted to know if you were okay and I asked him if they had talked to you. When they couldn't reach you, I let Finn know, and well... Brooke may be a bit anxious too. I'm sorry."

"Oh, shit. My sister too?" Blaine frowned, and then put a hand over his face, "damn. And I haven't even checked on her since last week. How is she, do you know?"

"I'm really sorry, I didn't know what to do." Kurt bit his lower lip, looking worriedly at Blaine. "Finn told me she was still not feeling well, but I have no more details."

"It's okay; it's my fault, not yours. You were just worried about me. But I didn't think about worrying everyone, I'm sorry."

"Well, a lot of people care about you, sir." Kurt smiled shyly at him. "When we finish dinner, call her to let her know you're okay." He took a drink from his soda. "Do you think she will be happy... about us?"

Blaine took a drink of his own soda before smiling at Kurt. 

"I think she will be, but she's stubborn, so she's probably going to give you grief for it." He said with a laugh again, "don't take it to heart, though; she's just protecting me."

"Oh, don't worry, tell me about it when Finn wants to have a face-to-face conversation with you. That will be fun." Kurt smirked.

"I thought he was just a big teddy bear at heart?" Blaine teased, "but I have my responses to Finn's threats already."

"Really?" Kurt asked curiously. "Can you share any of those responses with me?"

Blaine pretended to think about it for a few seconds, and then threw a secret smile at Kurt. 

"Well, Finn, I want to reassure you that I really care about your brother, and I'll try my hardest to be the best boyfriend ever. I can't promise we won't hurt each other, but I do promise to try to make it right when we do. And one more thing..." Blaine paused and looked up at Kurt with a soft expression on his face, "I think I'm falling in love with him."

Kurt's eyes widened when he heard that. He leaned across the table and grabbed Blaine's shirt to pull him up to him and kiss him. He reveled in the brush of Blaine's soft lips on his for a few seconds before pulling away. 

"That's great." Kurt said in a small voice. "Finn will be glad to know it, especially since I think I'm falling in love with you too."

"God..." Blaine moaned lightly, "don't say that...I'm already having terrible trouble with holding back from pulling you into my bedroom and re-enacting our first night together." 

He dropped back into his seat and smirked across at him. Kurt just chuckled before checking his phone. 

"It's getting late... maybe it would be better if I went home now so we avoid, you know... temptations." Kurt forced himself to stop looking at Blaine's lips to focus on his eyes.

"Mhm, you'd probably better go home before I lose control of the Anderson smile and it makes you stay." Blaine replied cheekily and then moved away with a laugh as Kurt took a swipe at his arm.

"So charming." Kurt stood up and watched as Blaine got up as well. He slipped his phone into his pocket and grabbed Blaine's hand on his way to the front door.

When they got there, he put his arms around Blaine's shoulders. 

"Thanks for dinner, and the talk, and everything." He smiled cheekly.

"No." Blaine shook his head with a smile, "thank you, darling...for coming over and having the courage that I didn't to sort out this mess." 

He leaned in until he was just an inch away from pressing their lips together and he stopped, looking Kurt in the eyes. 

"And thank you for agreeing to be my boyfriend."

"It's my pleasure." 

Kurt closed the short distance between them, devouring Blaine's mouth for a couple of minutes before they had to pull apart for catching air. 

"Jeez... can you remind me why I wanted to go home?" He giggled over Blaine's lips.

Blaine giggled lowly as he moved back in to put his tongue back in Kurt's mouth for another minute. As he pulled back, it was hard to breath for both of them. 

"I think it was something to do with avoiding temptations…" He mumbled.

"Yeah, I think I said that." Kurt nuzzled Blaine's cheek before letting him go. "Text Brooke and the guys, okay?" 

He opened the door, but he couldn't resist giving Blaine one more kiss before leaving. 

"See you tomorrow, baby."

"I'll definitely text them." Blaine said, and then waved as he stayed at the door and watched Kurt walk to the elevator, "see you tomorrow, sweetheart."

******

Blaine had stood smiling widely as he leaned back against his door, intermittently giggling to himself, for 20 minutes after Kurt left. He really couldn't believe it. Kurt knew they were soulmates, he had felt the connection, and they had talked, and made up, and kissed. 

It was like heaven for Blaine now, after the last 4 days of feeling awful. He contained his excitement, but couldn't help doing a little silly dance as he walked back to the couch where he had left his phone and picked it up to send a text to his best friend.

To: Nate

\- Hey, I'm sorry I worried you over the last two days, some stuff went down with Kurt and I couldn't face the world, you know how I get :( But I apologize to you both. I'm okay now x -

After he clicked send, he then opened a new chat screen to text his sister.

To: Brooke

\- Hey, sis. I hope you're feeling better. I'm really sorry for worrying you, but just letting you know I'm okay. Actually, more than okay...I'm fantastic! :) -

Before Blaine could even put the phone on the table, it started ringing. He should have imagined that Nate would call him instead of just replying to his message. He rolled his eyes fondly as he pressed 'answer'.

"Hey."

"Are you really okay?" Nate quickly said.

"Nate, I'm fine." Blaine said happily, because he couldn't keep the smile off of his face, "I'm perfect, actually."

"Man, you've had us so worried. You know how Dylan gets..." Nate trailed off when he noticed Blaine's cheerful tone. "Why are you so happy all of a sudden?"

"Well...I spoke to Kurt today." He said a little secretly, but he didn't want to keep Nate on the hook, so he burst out with happiness. "We're boyfriends now, Nate! He felt it, the connection. Kurt actually felt it!"

"Oh my god! That's... that's amazing." Nate said, truly happy for him, though he couldn't help but add something. "But... are you sure, Blaine? Two days ago, you didn't talk to each other, and now you're together. You shouldn't rush..."

Before Blaine could answer, another voice was heard in the background.

"It's Blaine? Is he okay? Tell him I'm going to kill him for being missing two days!" Dylan said.

"He's really good." Nate replied. "He and Kurt are boyfriends now."

"What?"

Blaine only heard noise for a moment, what seemed to be two people fighting to get the phone, and it was fast clear who had won.

"Darling, tell me it's true. I need you to tell me!" Dylan screamed.

Blaine laughed and held the phone away from his ear.

"Yes, yes, it's true. Kurt and I are together." He told his friend.

"I knew it! I knew it! Nate was sure you had to wait, but from the moment I saw you two, I knew it was a matter of days. You should have seen how worried he was about you..."

"Dyl, give me the phone back." Nate said.

"Shut up for a second. I want to know everything, babe. What was it like? Who took the first step? Was it Kurt? Oh, I'm sure it was Kurt. Does he know you're soulmates? Come on, tell me!"

"Dyl, put me on loud speaker and I'll answer both of your questions, okay?"

"Ugh, okay. I wanted the exclusive, but..." 

Dylan put the phone on speaker with a glance at Nate.

"I can hear you now, Blaine." Nate said. "If I suddenly disappear, I'll be getting Dylan's medication."

"Go to hell." Dylan stuck his tongue out at him. "Tell us, honey."

Blaine laughed at both of them arguing first before calming himself and speaking slowly.

"Well, when I started working at Kurt's company on Wednesday, he was kind of ignoring me...and it hurt. Thursday and Friday were the exact same, even though I tried to talk to him."

He paused and took a breath.

"I kind of cornered him at his place Friday night, and we had this huge fight about everything. The fact was that he didn't tell me he was uncomfortable with PDA at work, and he hurt me by not talking to me and ignoring me. But we sorted all of that out tonight."

"And? What happened next? I mean, I'm so glad you sorted out what made you fight, but how did you go from that to being together?" Dylan asked.

"Blaine, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Nate stated.

"Excuse me? He knows all the details of our story, I think I deserve the same. I can also call Kurt and ask him, it's your choice." Dylan teased then.

"Guys, stop arguing, or I'll hang up and leave you with no details." Blaine warned with a smile before adding, "I don't really know why Kurt came here, or who he had spoken to before. But...when he got here, he apologized to me and then he kissed me...I guess he wanted to actually know if he would feel it."

He smiled gently to himself as he touched his lips, already remembering the feel of his soulmate kissing him.

"And after that, we made everything right. I told him about my fears, and he told me about his. I think we'll be okay now. And I'm so happy, guys. I can't believe it's actually happening."

Before Dylan could scream with excitement, Nate covered his mouth so he could speak first.

"I don't want you to think that I'm not happy for you. You know I think Kurt is great and he really cares about you, but... I know you, I know what you've been up to this weekend. Are you sure that after a situation like that you want to get directly into a relationship?"

Blaine sighed. He knew Nate was right, he still had some underlying issues.

"Yeah, I know, Nate, and Kurt knows too. I've promised to talk to him about it if it starts again, and we're going to take it slow. I mean, not that it wouldn't be great, but our relationship is all new and I've never had a boyfriend...I promise I want this, Nate. I really do."

"Okay, then you have my full support, you both have it. I know you guys are good for each other, but don't rush, okay? Enjoy every step and don't shut up when something worries you."

"Did you finish, Mr. Grumpy?" Dylan scolded Nate, though he pecked his lips when Nate pouted at him. "Blaine, baby, I'm so happy for you. I agree that you have to go step by step, but you're soulmates, so everything's going to be fine."

"I know we're going to be fine, as long as we tell each other when something's wrong." Blaine agreed, grateful that his friends were so loving and caring, "thanks, guys, for everything."

His phone beeped against his ear.

"I might need to go in a second, my sister just messaged me."

"Oh, we'll let you talk to her then. You know you have us here for whatever you need, and that includes Kurt now as well." Nate assured him.

"You really deserve to be happy, darling." Dylan added. "Keep us updated, okay?"

"I'll definitely speak to you guys if something happens, and I'll call you soon. Love you both." Blaine said and then made a kiss noise down the phone.

"Love you too!" Dylan exclaimed.

"Bye, B. Take care." Nate said.

Blaine grinned as he hung up the phone and then turned the screen up to see the message from his sister, because without even looking at it, he knew it was her.

\- So you are fantastic, huh? It would have been great if you told me that during one of the 50 times I called and you didn't pick up the phone. Are you going to give me an explanation? I know Kurt has something to do with it, Finn is a terrible liar. -

Blaine sighed a little at the aggressive response to his text, but he knew her, so he wasn't surprised. 

\- Me and Kurt had a huge fight on Friday, I won't go into detail because some of it is personal, but...I was kind of shutting everyone out, so I apologize, sis. Anyway, Kurt and I have sorted things out tonight :) -

\- Yeah, I imagined that. Now, define 'sorted things out'... -

\- Well, we spoke about the fight and both apologized for hurting each other...and he kissed me, he felt our connection :) but don't tell Finn, let Kurt do it x -

\- REALLY? Oh, baby, that's great, I'm so happy for you! But he's serious about this, right? I don't want you to get hurt again... -

\- It's really happening, Brooke! He told me that he's falling in love with me, and we had dinner together and everything was so perfect. - 

Blaine paused a little as he remembered something Kurt said about his past, and sent his sister another message. 

\- Brooke, he said something about the bullying he got in high school, did you know him then? -

\- Yeah, I did... he had a really tough time back there. -

Blaine frowned deeply. 

\- He said that he dreaded Mondays because of it. - 

He sent back and then he froze, horrified. 

He hadn't sent Kurt a text yesterday morning, even though he had promised he would always be there on a Monday to make his day better. He put one hand over his eyes as the guilt ate at him inside. How the hell did he forget such an important aspect of their friendship? The very foundation of it had been crumpled to pieces and Kurt was partly to blame too, but Blaine felt so awful for leaving his soulmate to suffer through the residual effects of his most hated day. He sent a new text to his sister.

\- Brooke, I've done something terrible. - 

\- What? Blaine, what have you done? -

\- Kurt has a fear of Mondays and I made a promise that I would always text him to start it off better...but yesterday I didn't. -

He opened another chat box as he waited for his sister to reply, and typed out a message to Kurt. 

\- Kurt, baby, I just realized I broke my promise to you and I'm so sorry. Monday texts completely slipped my mind. Forgive me, please :( xx -

From: Brooke 

\- Well, you weren't at your best, were you? He sure understands, or you guys wouldn't be where you are now. -

\- Yeah, I hope he understands x -

Just a few seconds later, Blaine received another message. 

From: Kurt 

\- Baby, it's okay. I'm not gonna lie, yesterday I thought that you would still send me a text, but I know things were difficult then. Of course I forgive you xx -

Blaine smiled a little sadly at the reply. Kurt might say he had forgiven him, but Blaine knew that yesterday must have hurt. 

\- I'll make it up to you, sweetheart. I will xx -

\- I know you will ;) xx -

Blaine felt better after that, but he did make a vow to himself to make it up to his boyfriend, one way or another. 

Boyfriend. The word was still new and so foreign to him, but he loved it. 

From: Brooke 

\- Blaine, are you still there? I know you, don't worry too much about it. -

\- I'm still here, but I have to go and clean up the dinner things now x I'll send you another message tomorrow, okay? Love you, sis, get well soon. -

\- Okay, honey. I'll call you soon, okay? Take care, and give Kurt a kiss for me :) x -

That simple idea made Blaine smile.

\- Haha, sure. I'll kiss him for you and for me lol :P -


	18. Chapter 18

Kurt woke up before his phone alarm rang. Last night he went to sleep shortly after getting home, after exchanging some messages with Blaine and preparing his lunch for today, and he had slept like a baby. He smiled before stretching his arms over his head and getting out of bed.

His first thought was Blaine. His soulmate Blaine. Blaine kissing him. Blaine wanting to be his boyfriend. Blaine telling him that he was falling in love with him. Had all that really happened the day before? If it had been a dream, Kurt didn't want to wake up.

He had never felt like this. The beginning of his relationship with Jamie was great, but it couldn't be compared to this. It was as if all his emotions had been magnified, and a simple touch or kiss with Blaine started a fire in his body.

And in his soul. The sensations weren't just physical. Being with Blaine made him feel at peace, as if he had finally fitted the last piece of a puzzle he didn't know was incomplete.

Kurt's fears hadn't disappeared from one day to another though. He knew that not everything was going to be easy, and Blaine also had his own ghosts too, but Kurt had never wanted to make something work so much, and the twinkle in Blaine's eyes when he looked at him confirmed that he was not the only one who felt this way. 

Plus, he really appreciated that Blaine had realized for himself that he had hurt him by not texting him on Monday. They could put all that behind them now and start doing things right.

Kurt sang his heart out in the shower, as he hadn't done in a long time. He gripped the bottle of shampoo like it was a microphone, proud to know that he was nailing every note in the song.

A while later, already dressed, with his hair perfectly combed and a smile that refused to leave his face, Kurt went to the kitchen to make himself some toast with cheese and a cup of coffee. He was hungry.

Just as he was chewing the first bite of his toast, his phone pinged.

\- Good morning to the bravest boyfriend in the world. I hope this message makes your day a little brighter, and I'll see you very soon xx from your sappy boyfriend who's missing you so much and can't wait to see you ;) -

Kurt was glad no one was looking at him right now, because he put his hands to his mouth to stifle a cry as he jumped a couple of times. He felt like something was going to explode inside his chest. He quickly typed a response. 

\- Good morning, sweetheart. I don't know what I've done to deserve such sappiness, but I gladly accept it. And I don't think I'm the bravest boyfriend, but it looks like I'm the luckiest. I miss you too, I want to see you now xx -

Kurt finished his breakfast in a hurry. He really wanted to get to work as soon as possible. He knew he couldn't go to the 3rd floor and kiss the hell out of Blaine, which was exactly what he wanted to do, but at least he would know he was in the same building as him. The same feeling that days ago had caused him anxiety, now gave him a million butterflies in his stomach. 

When he had the last sip of his coffee, Kurt grabbed his bag and almost ran to his car. He was sure it was going to be a great day.

He had a surprise when he got to the front doors of the building. As he pushed his way inside, he spotted his boyfriend across the lobby. A smile made its way across Kurt's lips as Blaine looked around to make sure nobody was looking before blowing him a secret kiss and then disappearing.

Kurt shook his head as he approached the elevator with a grin in his face, and still had it when he reached the 2nd floor. 

Before getting to his office, he almost collided with Julia. 

"Kurt!" She said, looking at him carefully. "I was about to ask you how you're feeling, but that smile speaks for itself." 

Kurt blushed slightly and nodded.

"I'm much better. Thanks for yesterday, Julia. I know it wasn't professional of me to leave like that, but I..."

"Kurt, we're not robots." Julia gave him a soft pat on his shoulder. "For me, it's so important to feel well physically and emotionally, and there are days when we just need to get into bed. I know you work harder than anyone, the least I could do was give you an afternoon to recover... from whatever it was."

"Yeah. Today I see things in a more positive way." Kurt assured her, and when he smiled, he thought of Blaine. "Thank you again."

"You're welcome. I'm glad to see you like this. I have to go now, but you know where to find me." Julia said before heading to the other end of the hall.

Kurt smiled again, waved goodbye to her and went into his office, ready to make up for the time he had lost the day before.

******

Blaine had been on cloud nine since he woke up this morning. He had made himself look smart in a light pink shirt today, with black jeans and a black tie. 

He made sure he was at work 20 minutes early so that he could wave to Kurt as he came in, and the beautiful smile he got from his boyfriend made it all worth it. 

Once he was at his desk upstairs, Jonathan slid his chair over next to him and grinned at him. 

Blaine remained silent, but he raised a curious eyebrow at the man's expression. 

"What?"

"You look like the cat that caught the canary today." Jonathan told him while wiggling his eyebrows, "what's up? You get laid last night?" 

Blaine burst out a loud laugh. 

"No! What made you think that?" 

Jonathan shrugged. 

"I don't know, you just didn't seem all that great yesterday and now you're here looking like you've found the secrets of the universe. Only orgasms do that to a man." 

Blaine smirked at him. 

"Maybe for you." He replied, "but for me, things are just looking up. That's all."

Jonathan gave him a suspicious look, and Blaine only glanced innocently back before the other man gave up and moved away. 

"Fine." He said with a pout and then looked back over with a smile, "glad you're in a better place now though." 

"Thanks." Blaine smiled gratefully back at him before turning back to his computer screen.

He was in such a happy mood that the hours flew past. Before he knew it, it was 11am, and he had finished his tasks and work for that morning. With nothing else to do, he was sent down to 2nd floor to give some paperwork to Julia. 

2nd floor. He wouldn't make it obvious how excited he was to be going to Kurt's floor. He knew he probably wouldn't even see Kurt, but just knowing he would be mere feet away from his boyfriend made him giddy. 

He went down in the elevator, said 'good morning' cheerily to everyone with a smile and knocked on Julia's office door.

"Come in."

Blaine pushed the door open slowly and smiled as Julia turned her head from her computer screen to greet him.

"Blaine. Hey. Those papers are for me?" She asked as she spied the file of paper in his hand, and he nodded.

"Yeah, Jonathan sent me up because I was the first one to finish all my tasks this morning." He explained.

"Jonathan has been telling me that you've been catching up to everyone else really fast. He's very impressed with you. And so am I."

"Thank you." Blaine said as his smile turned a little wider, and a little blush appeared on his cheeks.

"And your ideas are phenomenal, Blaine. I really appreciate the effort you are putting in for my company." 

"Well, it's a great company and I'm happy to be here." Blaine said truthfully. He really was happy to work there, "my team is actually really nice."

She smiled gratefully at him.

"I'm glad you're fitting in well." She placed the file down in front of her, "keep up the good work, honey."

He nodded and then turned to leave. After he closed the door behind him, he glanced up to the end of the hall, towards Kurt's office, but all he could see was a blonde woman talking to Camille.

Camille had glanced up as Blaine had turned to leave, and she gave him a big smile and a wave, which he returned. His sunny smile was still stuck on his face before going back to the elevator. Once in there, he sent a quick text to Kurt. 

\- Don't text back if you're working. Just wanted to say I miss your face and I can't wait until lunch time :) xx -

When he was back at his desk, his phone vibrated with a new message. It was from Kurt. 

\- I'm working, but I'm also thinking of you. See you in the dining room ;* -

Now Blaine was excited. Kurt was actually going to sit with him at lunch, so he had to work out how to make the next hour go by faster.

******

At 12 o'clock, Kurt got up from his desk, grabbed his bag and left his office on his way to the dining room. Halfway through, Camille appeared at his side, linking her arm through his. 

"Why are you in such a hurry, handsome? Are you afraid they'll take the best table from us?" 

"So funny." Kurt nudged her lightly, which pleasantly surprised Camille, who had been seeing her friend quite off for days. "I've been working hard all morning, I need a break and I'm hungry, what's wrong with that?" 

"Nothing at all. You just seem happy and excited, and for a moment I thought it had to do with Blaine. I saw him before, by the way; he was on our floor. His face looks almost as pretty as always again." 

"Oh, I didn't know he had been on the 2nd." Kurt replied, trying to sound nonchalant."And he never stopped being gorgeous." He added without thinking, earning a questioning look from Camille. "What?" He sighed, opening the dining room door for her to enter. 

"There's something you're not telling me. But whatever it is, it suits you, so I'm not complaining." 

Kurt smiled at his friend and they sat together at their usual table. She started eating almost immediately, but Kurt just looked at the door, waiting for him. 

He didn't have to wait too long. Just a couple of minutes later, Blaine and his friends from the 3rd floor made it to the dining room, and Kurt couldn't help but smile. Blaine was talking animatedly to Jonathan, though, and Kurt felt a twinge of jealousy that he couldn't control. Perhaps he shouldn't have taken it for granted that they would have lunch together.

Blaine was laughing at something Jonathan said to him, and as everyone from the 3rd floor sat at their usual table, Blaine looked up to see Kurt watching him and smiled widely. 

He turned and said something to Jonathan, who nodded at him with a smile, and then he turned to walk towards Kurt and Camille.

When Kurt saw Blaine approach them, he felt stupid for doubting his boyfriend. Blaine seemed as pleased to see him as he was. 

"Hey, you. Are you sitting with us?" Kurt asked him with a smile, although he already knew the answer.

"Is there room for me?" Blaine asked cheekily as he eyed the four vacant chairs at the table, before laughing and picking one opposite to Kurt. "So how was work this morning?"

"Very good. How was yours? A little bird told me you've been on our floor." Kurt reached out to take Blaine's hand, and when he realized what he was about to do, he took his soda instead. 

Camille stared from one to the other in silence, as if she were watching a tennis match.

"Yeah, I had to drop some paperwork off to Julia because I was the only one of my team to finish my work early." Blaine explained with a small smile, "shame I missed you, though."

"Yeah, what a shame..." Kurt bit his lower lip, pretending to be very interested in his tuna sandwich. 

"Holy crap, you two!" Camille exclaimed. "You..." 

"Cami, shut up." Kurt warned her, but the smile afterward gave him away.

"We're not announcing it to the whole work place, sweetie." Blaine said a little more politely, and patted her hand before giving Kurt a smile, "at least, not yet."

"Exactly." Kurt smiled back at Blaine. 

"Sorry, it was the surprise. If a certain someone had told me, I wouldn't have reacted like that." Camille pinched Kurt on the arm. 

"Hey, that hurt!" Kurt complained, rubbing his arm. "I would have told you, but I didn't have time. I was in a hurry to get to the dining room." Kurt looked at Blaine and sighed. He looked so handsome today. 

Why did he feel like his whole body was drawing him to Blaine? He couldn't touch him or kiss him without ruining what they had talked about, but... this was going to be difficult.

"We really haven't had time to think outside of each other." Blaine shrugged at her, "I mean, it only happened yesterday." 

He gave Kurt a smile and wanted to reach out and rub the spot Camille had pinched, but he thought it might be too much contact.

"Well, I have to say that I'm so happy for you, guys. I like you much more than the ice queen." She said, pointing at Blaine, and for the first time, Kurt laughed at the nickname.

Blaine chuckled a little while his gaze turned to Camille. 

"Did you meet the douchebag?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you kidding me? He never dropped by, never came to company parties or when Kurt and I were having drinks. I don't think it was a great loss, to be honest." She replied, raising her eyebrows. 

"Can we stop talking about people who are not here? Don't listen to her." Kurt warned Blaine. 

"Hey, I'm saying I like him for you, why shouldn't he listen to me?" Camille pouted.

"Nevermind." Kurt laughed and looked at Blaine. Would it be so weird to suddenly get up and give him a hug?

Blaine laughed at the two arguing, and then gave Kurt the biggest smile.

"You know, she can say whatever she likes about him. He never treated my boyfriend with respect, so..." Blaine said, and Camille hummed in agreement.

"So Blaine, how old are you?" She suddenly asked, and Blaine was a little shocked for a second, but he answered.

"26."

"When's your birthday?"

"26th July."

She grinned.

"What do you think about marriage?" She asked as she leaned in closer, before Kurt interrupted Blaine's answer by glaring lightly at his friend.

"I think you can stop asking personal questions now." 

She just smirked back at Kurt.

"Why, are you embarrassed?"

"Okay, that's enough. Camille, shut your mouth!" Kurt snapped. 

"So I can't talk to my new friend?" She put a hand to her chest, feigning more indignation than she really felt. 

"No, you can't. If you say something else, I'll kill you with my bare hands." Kurt threatened her, even though he was holding back a smile.

Kurt turned to Blaine and mouthed 'I'm sorry' to him.

Blaine stifled a laugh and kept his mouth shut, giving Kurt a knowing look. He had a sister who was very powerful and stubborn; he knew what those kinds of women were like, so he ended up just giving Kurt a massive sunny smile and then going back to his lunch.

The rest of the lunch was more relaxed. Camille decided that she had messed with them enough for a day, so they mostly talked about work. 

When the three of them finished eating and left the dining room, Camille stepped forward, waving goodbye to Blaine and winking at Kurt. 

Kurt saw how the little group from the 3rd floor left the dining room too, and knew that Blaine had to go with them. 

"If you have five free minutes later, can you come by my office?" Kurt whispered, so no one would hear him except Blaine.

Blaine looked back at Kurt with a smile, and then leaned into him, making sure the others didn't hear.

"I have some time now." He replied. "I could just say I went to the toilet."

"Good. Follow me." 

Kurt started walking toward his office, making sure not to look directly at Blaine despite knowing that he was right behind him. Most of the people were returning to their own desks after having lunch and no one seemed to notice them. 

As soon as they entered Kurt's office and he closed the door behind them, Blaine felt Kurt gently push him against it and kiss him, pressing his lips hard against his. He hummed against Kurt's lips as he kissed back, and then wrapped both of his arms around Kurt's waist, fingers fitting into the small of his back and pressing lightly.

This was what Kurt had needed for hours. Feeling Blaine, holding him this close and kissing him exactly like this, feeling the tingling and heat in every part of his body. He wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck, bringing one of his hands up to Blaine's curls and stroking them.

Blaine opened his lips and ran his tongue against Kurt's bottom lip, but he didn't wait for Kurt to open his lips fully before pushing it into his mouth. He stifled a groan in his throat, and breathed out of his nose as he tilted his head a little to kiss Kurt deeper. 

Blaine's hands ran up the length of Kurt's back, coming to rest on his shoulder blades, and then pulling him closer so that their chests were pressed together. The heat and the tingly feelings were making Blaine's head spin a little; he had missed being able to do this.

Kurt wanted more, needed more, but something inside his head seemed to remind him where they were, so he leaned back, missing Blaine's lips the moment he stopped feeling them. 

"I'm sorry." Kurt managed to say despite his heavy breathing.

Blaine's mouth hung open for a moment as he was trying to catch his breath back. Then he opened his eyes and looked at Kurt.

"Don't be sorry…" He said with a rough voice, "that was amazing. Just what I needed today."

Kurt rested his forehead on Blaine's, enjoying the feel of their chests together and not breaking the hug yet. 

"I asked you to keep your distance, I did quite a drama about it, and now I make you come to my office for this..." He sighed. "But I needed to kiss you so much."

Blaine chuckled a little as he nuzzled his nose against Kurt's gently, and rubbed his hands soothingly over Kurt's back.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I know what it's like to want this so much." Blaine whispered to him as he placed his chin over Kurt's shoulder to hug him properly.

"How did you do it?" Kurt asked, gently kissing Blaine's neck before tightening the hug even more. "When we spent time together these past few weeks and I kept asking you to be just friends, how could you handle it? I don't think I could." He admitted.

"Because I did it for you." Blaine whispered, pressing his nose against the side of Kurt's neck and his lips to the little pulse point underneath his jaw before pulling back, and giving him a smile. "We'll get better at it."

"I hope so. It was easier when I came to work and no one made me shiver just by looking at me." Kurt smirked at him. "I loved having lunch with you, by the way."

"I loved having lunch with you too." 

Blaine took a step back reluctantly. He really didn't want to leave, but they still had three hours left at work. 

"I have to go, even though there's no place I would rather be than with you."

"Yeah, leave before I do something crazy." Kurt laughed, but there was some truth in his words. If he kissed Blaine again, he would probably end up ripping his shirt off. "Talk to you later."

"Talk?" Blaine said cheekily, "I'm going to follow you home after work, beautiful."

He gave Kurt a wink before opening the door and disappearing.

Kurt giggled before running his hands through his clothes and hair, trying to get everything just the way it was before his moment with Blaine. 

He sat down at his desk and before turning his laptop back on, he took his phone for a moment and typed a message. 

To: Blaine 

\- Can't wait ;) x - 

******

Blaine felt himself pushed up against the door again as he stepped into Kurt's office at just after 12pm the next day. It was no secret to them that Kurt needed the constant contact, and Blaine had so far been able to cool them down when it got too heated. 

He just didn't know how much longer he would be able to keep his own frustration in control.

They had discussed their relationship last night at Kurt's place, over dinner. Blaine had promised to follow Kurt home after work, and he did.

He had turned up to Kurt's place just as Kurt was stepping out of his car. They had grinned at each other, and Kurt had taken his hand and pulled him into the building behind him.

As Kurt's tongue wrapped around his own in his office that Thursday lunch time, Blaine thought back to their conversation the night before.

******

"So how did you come to the conclusion that soulmates were actually real?" Blaine asked Kurt as they were sitting at his kitchen table and eating pasta for dinner.

"Right, you don't know what happened before I came to your apartment." 

Kurt laughed. It seemed like weeks had passed since that, but it had been just the day before. 

"I wasn't doing well and called Finn, and he slipped out that I was your soulmate. I panicked and called my dad next, and as always, he was the one who reassured me and made me see that what kept me from believing was my own fear. I decided to be brave and give it a try... and here we are." He smirked at Blaine before shoving a bite of pasta in his mouth.

"So you just changed your beliefs? Just like that?" Blaine asked curiously as he fed himself some more pasta.

"I think before meeting you I would have never considered it." Kurt confessed, blushing a little. "But when Finn and my dad talked about how you feel when you are with your soulmate, I thought that maybe it could be true. And you always seemed so sure..."

Blaine nodded with a shrug and a small smile.

"Yeah, I was sure. I was certain that what I felt was real." He answered, "I had never felt anything like it before."

Kurt pulled his chair closer to Blaine so he could reach up and caress Blaine's cheek. 

"Now I appreciate even more that you waited for me."

"I would always have waited. I care about you, Kurt." Blaine said with a smile, and pressed his cheek into Kurt's palm.

"I care about you too. A lot." 

Kurt leaned in so he could kiss Blaine. It was going to be a chaste little kiss, but the moment his lips touched Blaine's, Kurt lost his mind. He placed his hands on both sides of Blaine's face, and kissed him harder as a moan escaped his throat.

Blaine pushed against him and moved his hands so that they were around Kurt's waist. It was difficult to kiss properly in the chairs, but they made it work.

He tilted his head and opened his lips for Kurt to deepen it, groaning around Kurt's tongue. The fuzzy warm feeling heated him and made his mind numb and his legs wobbly.

Kurt felt his pulse racing and heat creeping through his body, as if fire was running through his veins.

"You know what? I'm not hungry anymore." He whispered on Blaine's lips and stood up, taking Blaine's hand and leading them into the living room. 

He made Blaine sit up on the couch by lightly pushing his shoulders, and quickly straddled him. Then he started running his tongue down Blaine's jaw, reaching up to his ear and down his neck.

Blaine gasped and moaned loudly as Kurt's mouth and tongue made patterns over his skin that set his entire body on fire. He could feel the stirrings in his groin as Kurt sat on top of him, and reached out with careful hands to place his palms over Kurt's thighs.

"Baby... you... taste... so... good." Kurt muttered under his breath, leaving wet kisses on Blaine's neck between each word. 

He quickly loosened Blaine's tie and undid the first buttons of his shirt, bending his head to reach Blaine's collarbone and suck a hickey on that soft skin.

"Ah!" Blaine cried out then and bucked his hips up into Kurt, but he scrambled his mind together enough to make sense of all of this. 

The sensation was so good and Blaine really didn't want to push him away, but they had to slow down. He wanted to do this right.

"Sweetheart...Kurt." He said as Kurt's fingers started undoing more buttons, "Kurt, wait."

Blaine gripped Kurt's hands and pulled them away from his shirt.

Kurt looked at him with a confused frown. 

"What? Did I do something wrong?" He asked.

"No." Blaine giggled a little breathlessly, "no, you definitely didn't do anything wrong." 

He brought Kurt's hands up to his lips and pushed kisses onto every knuckle. 

"Can we talk for a minute, please?" He asked with a smile.

"Yeah, of course." 

Kurt got off Blaine's lap, suddenly feeling embarrassed. A moment ago they were having dinner, and... how had he lost control so fast?

Blaine grinned at Kurt's red face as he buttoned up his shirt again, but he removed his tie and placed it down on the couch.

"Baby, I know that face." He said as he took Kurt's chin and turned his face to him, "don't be embarrassed, it's okay. I just want to talk about this side of the relationship."

"Blaine, I jumped on you in my office after lunch, and now I practically dragged you to the couch. I don't know why this is happening to me..."

"I do." Blaine said empathetically, "and trust me, it's normal. God knows I've wanted to jump on you every time I've seen you for weeks. But I have gotten used to waiting, and you will too eventually, beautiful."

Kurt took Blaine's hands and began to play with his fingers, his eyes locked on what he was doing to avoid Blaine's gaze. 

"I feel stupid. I don't want you to think that you're just a piece of meat, because no one has meant as much to me as you do. It's just that... I need to have you close all the time, and when we're finally alone, my mind shuts down and my body takes over."

"I know...it was a lot easier for me to keep away from running my hands all over you, because you didn't believe in soulmates and we were just friends. If you had been my boyfriend at the very start, we would be having very, very good sex right now." Blaine laughed good naturedly as he watched Kurt's fingers playing with his own. "It will get easier as we spend more time together. I just want to treat this relationship like any other relationship...we go on dates, and kiss, and hug...and when we both feel like the time is right, we can go further."

Kurt sighed and finally lifted his face to look Blaine in the eye. 

"You're right. I don't want us to rush into it. We had sex before we knew each other, before we felt what we had to feel to get there. I don't want to ruin this, and I know it's too much to ask, but I'm going to need you to stop me if you think I'm going too fast again." 

He leaned in and kissed the tip of Blaine's nose. 

"I want to go on dates with you, I want to do it right... and I want to cuddle with you on this couch right now, fully clothed and without any of us getting too... turned on. Do you think we can do that?"

"We can definitely do that." Blaine agreed and put his arm up and around Kurt's shoulders, pulling him in tight against his chest, "and never feel bad for wanting me, because I want you all the time."

Kurt rested his head on Blaine's shoulder, breathing in his scent and feeling calm, at home. He wrapped his arm around Blaine's waist and stayed that way, forgetting for a moment what had been about to happen and enjoying these new sensations. 

"This isn't bad either."

"Not bad at all." Blaine replied.

They had spent the rest of the evening on Kurt's couch cuddling into each other, sharing occasional light kisses, but nothing too heavy. Once it got late, Blaine had then decided to go home.

Work the next morning went along as usual. Blaine's cheeriness made the work easier and he finished well before lunch time, so he texted Kurt to find out if they could have lunch together again.

Kurt asked if they could have lunch together in his office, and Blaine agreed.

But...

Blaine didn't expect to be ravished quite like this again after their talk yesterday evening. As Kurt's fingers delved underneath his shirt to dance across his abdomen, Blaine pulled back out of the kiss.

"Baby, it's getting a little out of hand again." He laughed as he caught his breath, and placed his hands on his boyfriend's heated red face.

"Oh god... I promise you I was planning on having lunch; I even brought some dessert to share. But you came in here wearing this tight white shirt, and..." Kurt giggled despite the situation. "I thought the age to be permanently horny was 15, not 25."

Blaine chuckled as he fixed his shirt into place and then took one of Kurt's hands, leading him back to the desk and two chairs.

"I promise it's really okay, Kurt, I mean...I was such a wreck at the start, after we slept together." Blaine grinned at him as they both sat down.

"And how did you cope? Share your secrets with me." Kurt pouted at him.

Blaine looked up at him with a smirk.

"Well...masturbation." He said.

Kurt's eyes widened and he blushed, before punching Blaine on the shoulder. 

"Baby, no, that's playing dirty. Now I'm going to imagine you doing it and it's not going to help..."

Blaine laughed loudly and then rubbed at his shoulder. 

"You wanted to know. I'm not joking, though; I really did." Blaine grinned as he looked down at his lunch, "I couldn't help it. But trust me, it helps."

"Well, it's not helping me right now." Kurt reached into the bag with his lunch and pulled out a salad, a slice of cheesecake and two spoons. "You don't deserve it, but..." He said, placing the piece of cake on the desk between the two of them.

"Aww, baby, are we sharing cheesecake?" Blaine smiled as he reached for Kurt's hand, squeezing his fingers, "thank you."

"Well, the idea was to bring something as sweet as you, but now you've started talking about masturbation and I have my doubts..." Kurt teased him, but he took one of the spoons and forgetting about his salad for a moment, he took a bit of cake and held it up to Blaine's mouth.

"I'm sweet." Blaine smiled as he stared Kurt in the eyes, and then opened his mouth for the spoon.

"Yes, you are." Kurt sighed, as if it had taken a great effort to confess that, and put the spoon in Blaine's mouth. "Is it good?"

Blaine moaned at the flavor of the cake, and then blushed as he realized he did it out loud and laughed as he looked away for a second. 

"Yeah, it's amazing."

"I'm glad you like it." Kurt said, avoiding thinking about the chill that had gone through his spine when he heard Blaine moan. "Honey, about what you said yesterday that we should take this relationship like any other where two people are getting to know each other... maybe we should slow down a bit."

Blaine raised an eyebrow and gave Kurt a curious look.

"I thought we had slowed down. So what do you want to do now?" He asked gently.

"I mean... people who start a new relationship don't see each other every day, and we have to." Kurt saw that Blaine began to worry, so he took his hand in his. "And I love it." He was quick to add. "But maybe we shouldn't meet out of work unless we have a proper date… this Saturday, for example." 

Kurt bit his lower lip, nervous about what Blaine's reaction might be.

"Oh." 

Blaine smiled as he thought of the date on Saturday, but there was some kind of warning going off in his head. He didn't know what to think about this. But if it was what Kurt wanted...

He smiled brightly at him.

"So you're taking me out on Saturday?" He asked hopefully.

"If you want to. Nothing big, you know? Maybe we could go out to dinner and then come back to my place, watch a movie and... you stay the night. Just to sleep, I promise. But I want to wake up with my boyfriend on Sunday." Kurt looked at Blaine with loving eyes.

Blaine melted at the thought of staying over, and it showed on his face, with the little happy smile and the warm eyes. 

"I would love that." He replied in a tone that was soft and filled with emotion. He had missed sleeping next to Kurt.

"Really? Oh, thank you!" 

Kurt pulled Blaine into a hug, but pulled away in a few seconds so he could look into his eyes.

"Don't worry about what I said, okay? I'm not backing down, I don't want to lose what we have... I just need to learn to control my need to touch you without forcing you to always be the one cooling down. It's not fair to you."

Blaine nodded.

"I know, but I guess I'm a little worried. In my head and heart I know we're together, but...it's just been so long waiting for it to actually happen that I...I think I'm a bit terrified of taking a step back." He said to Kurt truthfully, taking one of Kurt's hands and pulling it up to his face, rubbing his cheek on the back of it.

He had to be honest. Their relationship wouldn't survive if they kept their fears inside, and Blaine was terrified that Kurt would step out of his life again.

Kurt looked at the man in front of him and just wanted to kiss all his worries away. Then, he remembered that he could actually do it. 

He leaned in until his lips were on Blaine's. The heat returned, but this time the need to calm his soulmate was stronger. It was a tender kiss, just his lips sliding gently over Blaine's before letting go. 

"You're not going to lose me, baby, I promise." Kurt whispered, losing himself in Blaine's eyes.

Blaine's eyelids fluttered closed and then, as he opened them, they were both watering a little as he stared into the blue eyes he came to love so much.

"I guess it's just something I have to get passed." He said as he gave Kurt a shaky smile, pressing one last kiss against his lips, feeling the calming waves wash over him, "but I promise to always tell you how I feel."

"Of course, I want you to always be honest with me. If you don't agree with something, tell me. I want us to be able to talk about everything. And I want us to continue having lunch together, or whatever we're doing today." He laughed.

Blaine chuckled with him.

"Yeah. It's a good step to build this relationship as proper boyfriends, and not just as soulmates. It's easy to fall into the 'heat trap', as Dyl always called it." He explained, and with a smile he raised a hand and ran it through Kurt's hair, "this will be good for us, as long as I can still call you and text you."

"If you stop calling and texting me, we are going to have a problem." Kurt smiled at him. "Besides, this way we can miss each other a bit until Saturday. That's a good thing, right?"

"I don't know." Blaine shrugged, because he really didn't know, "I've missed you since we were together that night, and we weren't boyfriends then. So I don't know how this will go, but I'll give it a try for you."

"I don't want to do this, honey, I don't. Since Tuesday, the only thing I want is to be with you every second of every day. But we can't burn this now that we're finally together. I need to get used to it."

Blaine agreed quickly.

"I know, baby, I know. It's okay. We'll give this a shot, a proper shot... and we'll see how it goes." He gave him a bright and comforting smile.

Kurt smiled in relief. 

"Okay. If you're not comfortable with it, or if it's too much, you tell me and we'll look for another solution."

Blaine shook his head and gave him a little smile.

"It's alright, I mean it." Blaine ran one of his palms over Kurt's arm, soothing and gentle, "we're just being smart about this."

"That's what I'm trying. This is special, Blaine, and I want to protect it. And... only two days left until Saturday." Kurt felt a smile split his face at the thought.

"Well, since we're not going to see each other after work for two days, we need to make the most of this time right now." Blaine said and, with a grin, he snatched up the other spoon that was on Kurt's desk and sliced a little piece of cheesecake, holding it up to Kurt's own mouth.

"Are we going to feed each other? Ugh, we really are that kind of couple." Kurt joked before opening his mouth and savoring the cheesecake. 

He made a little noise before shaking his head. 

"You're definitely sweeter." He stated, giving Blaine his best heart eyes.

Blaine laughed softly as he leaned forward to kiss Kurt's lips, smiling widely as he pulled back and licked his own.

"No, beautiful, you're the sweetest."


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Since Christmas time is almost here, we have a gift for you all: from today on, we will be updating 'Souls Entwined' daily, so you can have the full story just before Christmas Eve! 
> 
> We hope you like the surprise and keep reading it xx

Blaine felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders on Friday morning when he woke up. He had a smile as he was showering, and was chuckling to himself as he dressed. He was happy, and for the first time in months, he felt like his life was going somewhere. 

He and Kurt had agreed that they would cool down a little on hanging out and have proper dates, and Blaine actually felt excited for Saturday. Their first date. 

He had never been on a date.

As he was chewing on some apple slices at his kitchen table, his phone pinged with an incoming text message, and he automatically smiled as he knew exactly who it was from.

From: Kurt

\- Good morning, sweetie. It's Friday! That means I missed you a lot yesterday, but we're one day closer to our date. I'm very excited! See you at work <3 xx -

Blaine literally felt his heart thud a little harder, and his face went warm as he replied. 

\- Good morning, beautiful! :) Missed you too...so much. I can't wait for tomorrow, but at least there's only just over 24 hours to go. See you very soon xx -

After hitting send, he quickly finished off his coffee and stuffed the last apple slice in his mouth before grabbing his bag and leaving. 

Once he had parked outside work, he almost ran to the lobby doors. He calmed himself down though as he pushed through them and looked around. It was 7:56am, so Kurt might not be there yet, but Blaine hoped he was. 

"Boo." Came a voice behind him, and he turned with a grin. 

"Morning, baby." He said softly as he stared at Kurt's smiling face.

Kurt looked around. He was dying to give Blaine a kiss or at least hold his hand, but there were too many people in the lobby. 

"Morning. I had to see you before start working. Are you okay?" He asked.

"More than okay." Blaine said as they started walking towards the elevator together, "I'm so excited for tomorrow. I've never been on a date before."

"Seriously?" Kurt looked at him in surprise. "Well, I don't have much experience either, but I think it's going to be great. I hope you like Mexican food."

"I love Mexican food." He said as they reached the elevator together, "was Jamie the only guy you dated?"

"When I got to New York, I had a few dates, but nothing serious. Jamie is the only person I've dated more than three times. Until now, I hope." Kurt nudged him. 

If someone were looking at them, they would only see a friendly contact between co-workers.

Blaine laughed. 

"Of course we're going to be serious, but hopefully not too serious." Blaine said in a low teasing tone as the elevator came down, and they stepped on with several other people, "we'll still be able to have fun, huh?" 

He nudged back, but it was a gentle slide of his elbow against Kurt's arm.

"Sure. Haven't we had fun together so far?" Kurt said quietly as they stood next to each other at the back of the elevator.

"Yes, we have." Blaine whispered back, "although it's always been indoors." 

He smirked as Kurt gave him a pointed look, and almost giggled to himself.

"Well, indoors has its perks." Kurt said close to Blaine's ear. 

The elevator reached the 2nd floor, and Kurt lightly brushed Blaine's hand before walking to the doors. 

"See you at lunch, Mr. Anderson. Have a good morning." He said in his most professional tone, as if they were arranging a business meeting.

"Of course, Mr. Hummel. Have a good day yourself." Blaine copied the professional tone, and as soon as everyone else left the elevator, he gave Kurt a wink and a smile before the doors closed.

The morning moved along quite fast yet again, and Blaine promised Jonathan that he would see him in the dining room soon, he just had something he had to do first. 

Jonathan gave him a smirk and a nod, and Blaine somehow believed that the man knew what he was doing, or who he was going to see. But he shook it off and left for the elevator. 

After getting out on 2nd floor, he spied Camille packing up to go to lunch and smiled widely at her as he approached. 

"Hey, is Kurt around?" He asked making sure nobody else heard him.

"Hey. I thought you were coming to see me." Camille teased with a wide smile. "He's in his office. Are you going to spend your lunch time in there, making the rest of us mortals jealous again?"

Blaine chuckled at her, and then rubbed a hand over his neck. 

"Well, I was actually going to walk Kurt to the lunch room today, so we'll see you soon." He leaned forward and gave Camille a kiss on the cheek before walking towards Kurt's office.

"Okay, see you guys there." Camille grabbed her bag and headed to the dining room, but not before seeing how Blaine knocked on Kurt's office door and smiling.

When Kurt heard the knock on his door, he looked at the time and automatically knew who it was. 

"Come in." He exclaimed, an excited grin in his face.

Blaine opened the door slowly and walked in, shutting it behind him. 

"Hey, are you ready for lunch? I thought I could escort you down to the dining room." He said very gentlemanly as he stood in front of Kurt's desk. "Would you like to accompany me?"

"Of course, it will be an honor." 

Kurt got up, but before grabbing his lunch, he walked over to Blaine and kissed him. He forced himself to keep his head in place and not be carried away by the heat he was already beginning to feel. He placed one of his hands on the back of Blaine's neck, pulling him closer and pressing his lips a bit harder before breaking the kiss. 

"Hi. I missed your face." Kurt said, pulling away from Blaine a little to compose himself, but still smiling at him.

"I missed yours too, beautiful." Blaine replied softly, giving him a loving smile before leaning in to press a kiss against the corner of Kurt's mouth, "let's go."

Blaine grabbed the door and opened it before gesturing for Kurt to go first.

Kurt picked up his bag and went to Blaine, whispering a 'thank you' and nuzzling his cheek before heading out of his office.

Blaine followed after him, closing the office door and walking alongside Kurt down to the lunch room. 

"I'm pretty sure Jonathan knows about us." Blaine told him quietly, "I didn't tell him anything, but...it's just the way he looks at me sometimes, ever since Wednesday afternoon."

Kurt looked at him, suddenly tensing up as he tried to take in the information. 

"Oh, okay." He answered slowly. "Do you think the rest of the group knows it too?"

Blaine smiled at him. 

"No, they don't. Trust me, some of those girls wouldn't be able to keep their mouths shut if they knew." Blaine told him, "besides, Jonathan's a good guy. He won't say anything."

Kurt thought about the situation. Camille knew about them and he knew she wouldn't tell anyone. It felt good to have someone to trust, and although Kurt didn't know Jonathan well and it bothered him a bit to see him always so close to Blaine, he knew it was selfish of him not to let Blaine open up to someone. 

"Baby, if you trust him and consider him your friend, maybe... maybe you should tell him. As long as you ask him not to tell anyone else."

Blaine thought about it for a second before turning to Kurt with a little smile. 

"Is it okay that I don't tell him? I mean, I trust that he wouldn't be a gossip like the rest of them, but I'm still new here, so I don't really know him that well yet."

"Of course it's okay." Kurt smiled back at him, stopping at the dining room door before going in there. "I was just trying to make things easier for you. The choice is yours. If at any point you decide to tell him, I'll support you, okay?"

Blaine nodded. 

"Okay."

Kurt winked at him, but before opening the door, he turned to Blaine again. 

"Are you going to sit with us today? I don't want to force you, and I won't get mad if you choose to eat with your 3rd floor people."

"Well, I should be making friends with them. Plus, the girls always bother me to sit with them." Blaine started to explain lightly, and then paused, "are you sure you won't get jealous?"

"I don't think I have any reason to get jealous, do I?" Kurt asked raising an eyebrow, but he smiled too. "You know I always want you to sit with me, but I get it, it's okay. I'll have you all for myself tomorrow."

"Oh, I promise you, it's only friendly." Blaine gave him a grin. 

When he opened the door, Blaine spied Camille at the table over at the back. She was waving at them. 

"You don't want to keep a lady waiting." He threw Kurt another smile as he walked over to Jonathan, who was also looking at them with amusement. 

Blaine said something to him that Kurt couldn't hear, and the man laughed and raised his hands in mock surrender.

When Kurt sat down with Camille, she looked at him with interest. 

"Doesn't your cute boyfriend want to join us for lunch?" She asked. 

"No, not today. He's still new here and it's so important to him to interact with everyone." Kurt explained, unwrapping his sandwich and taking a bite. 

"And do you agree with that?" Camille frowned at him. 

"As strange as it sounds, I do." Kurt said honestly. "I mean, if it were up to me, he would sit with us every day, but I trust him and what we have, I know he just wants to get along with them. I don't want to be the kind of guy who doesn't let his boyfriend talk to anyone. I want him to be happy and feel as if he belonged." 

Camille nodded and smirked at him. 

"That's very mature, Kurtie. I'm proud of you." 

"I never know what to say when you're nice to me." Kurt laughed. 

He took a quick look at Blaine's table and saw him chuckling with his co-workers, but when his gaze met Kurt's, Blaine gave him that special smile that made Kurt melt inside. 

Yes, they were going to be fine.

******

Kurt looked at himself in the mirror again. Not that he had to impress Blaine... he was already his boyfriend and soulmate. But it was the first time they were going out together since they formalized their relationship, it was their first date and Blaine's first date ever, and Kurt wanted everything to be perfect. 

After going through all the clothes in his closet, he had chosen tight black jeans, a lavender shirt and black shoes. Nothing too fancy, but he knew those clothes fit him well and that was enough. 

He had made a reservation at 8:30pm at one of his favourite restaurants, which was close to his apartment so they could walk there. When they came back, they could watch a movie and eat ice-cream, popcorn and all kinds of yummy and unhealthy things that Kurt had bought for the occasion. 

He had asked Blaine to arrive a little before 8pm to drop off the bag with his things, so he would be about to get there. Blaine was really going to drop off a bag with his clothes and toiletries for staying the night at his place... Kurt could barely hide his excitement. 

He was checking that his hair was perfectly styled once more when there was a knock on the door. Kurt had to restrain himself from running to open it. 

Behind the door, looking at him with a huge grin on his face, was Blaine.

He was wearing an off white colored shirt, which was tucked into tight black jeans, and had on brown shoes as an added color. 

In one of his hands, he had a bag full of his stuff for staying the night, and in the other, he held out some red roses for Kurt. 

"Oh my gosh… you look stunning, baby." Blaine greeted with an awed expression.

Kurt looked from Blaine to the flowers, his eyes sparkling and his mouth open. 

"And you look gorgeous. Did you get me flowers?"

"No, they're for the lady that lives upstairs." Blaine teased with a laugh before holding them out with a smile, "of course they're for you."

Kurt giggled before picking them up and holding them to his nose. The smell of the roses made him smile. 

"This is the first time someone has given me flowers. Come here." 

Careful not to spoil them, Kurt held the roses with one hand and wrapped his other arm around Blaine's waist, giving him a loud kiss on the lips. 

"I love them, thank you."

"Seriously? The first time?" Blaine asked as he walked around Kurt and dropped his bag lightly down by the couch, "what is wrong with the men in New York? I thought they would be fighting over you."

"Yeah, I have several guys waiting downstairs in case the date doesn't go well, didn't you see them?" Kurt walked over to Blaine, looking excitedly at the bag he had just dropped on the couch.

"Oh, har har, Kurt." Blaine grinned at him and then placed both of his arms around his boyfriend's waist and pulled him into his chest, "that's not funny." 

Then he placed an eager kiss on his lips, and gently slid his along Kurt's.

Kurt carefully laid the flowers on the back of the couch before wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck, responding to the kiss and moaning slightly.

Blaine pulled away with a laugh. 

"Now that was revenge for the other men comment." He said as he picked up his bag and walked over to the bathroom. 

He turned back and winked at Kurt before walking inside.

"Oh, you really..." Kurt started, but he chuckled as Blaine entered the bathroom. 

He grabbed a vase from the shelf, went to the kitchen to fill it with water and put the flowers inside, placing the vase in the middle of the coffee table. They looked great there.

Blaine returned and eyed the flowers as he walked past the couch, and smiled as he found Kurt in the kitchen. 

"I'm ready to go if you are, baby." He asked as he walked up to Kurt and grabbed his hand to place a kiss on it.

"Yeah, I'm so ready." Kurt laced his fingers through Blaine's, and led him into the living room to get his phone, wallet and keys. They went to the front door together and, before leaving, Kurt turned to Blaine and gave him a kiss, cupping his face with his free hand. 

"I'm very happy about this. I wanted to tell you before we even started the night." Kurt said, looking at him with something that could only be described as devotion.

"Well, you're making me the happiest man alive right now, so the feeling is mutual." Blaine told him.

Kurt felt his heart skip a beat. He had never imagined that he could feel like this, so full, so complete. He sighed, unable to say anything as he opened the door and they went out together. 

When they stepped outside, Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand and kissed his shoulder as they walked to the restaurant. It was the first time they went down the street holding hands, and the sensation was amazing. 

"The restaurant is almost around the corner. I hope you like it, it was the first place that came to my mind." Kurt said with some nervousness in his voice.

Blaine pulled him closer by their joined hands and smiled that big sunny smile of his.

"I'm sure that if you love it, I'll love it. You have great taste, Kurt."

"You just say that because I'm crazy about you." Kurt smirked, enjoying the simple fact of having Blaine so close without worrying about someone seeing them. "You know, it's the first restaurant I went when I moved into my apartment. I was so excited about having my own place in New York that I went out to celebrate, and as soon as I passed the door, the smell brought me in. I used to go there often, but then..."

Kurt trailed off. He didn't know if Blaine would like him to name Jamie on his date.

"But then what?" Blaine asked curiously, as he slipped his hand out of Kurt's and put it around his waist as they walked along.

Kurt thought for a few seconds if he should say it or not, but Blaine's arm around his waist reassured him somehow. 

"But then... Jamie happened. I told you, he was a fussy eater, so I had to adjust."

Blaine furrowed his brow. He already knew that Jamie was a douchebag who never agreed with Kurt about anything, but it was surprising just how much Kurt had to change to please his ex-boyfriend.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I'm a non-judgemental listening ear, and I'm not going anywhere. So feel free to tell me about stuff tonight, okay?"

Blaine wanted to know about Kurt's life, even if it was something that was hard to listen too. He wanted to know it all.

Kurt leaned a little closer to Blaine, relieved to see that his boyfriend didn't get mad. 

"I can tell you anything you want to know, baby... but I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable talking about him. This is our moment." 

As they crossed the street, Kurt pointed to a small restaurant on the corner and they headed there.

"Kurt, you're my soulmate. My boyfriend. I want to know everything about you, about your life. I want to know everything about you before we met, the way you felt, the way you were...everything." Blaine explained to him, "I want to meet the rest of your family, I want to meet your friends...I want to scream from the rooftops of New York that you're mine."

He smiled as he paused and blushed a little.

"Sorry. I just want to know everything."

Kurt stood in the middle of the street, about six feet from the restaurant. He stared at Blaine, shook his head slightly and holding Blaine's shoulders, he kissed him. 

He kissed Blaine with his lips and his whole body, with his heart and his soul, giving a shit about the rest of the world. 

When they finally parted, Kurt rested his forehead on Blaine's.

"Never apologize for making me feel like I'm going to explode with happiness. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, and if you want to go up and scream from the rooftops, I'll be there, right by your side." 

Kurt kissed him again, just a simple brush of his lips this time. 

"But first, let's have dinner, okay? I have a lot of things to tell you."

"Okay." Blaine said as Kurt guided him to the restaurant by the hand. 

He was elated that Kurt didn't find his feelings too much, and instead, returned them. He felt like the luckiest guy in the world that very night.

Kurt opened the restaurant door without letting go of Blaine's hand. They approached the hostess, a young woman with a wide smile. Kurt gave her his name and she walked them to their table. It was a cute small table, tastefully decorated, just like the rest of the place.

They sat down and thanked her when she told them she would be back in a bit to write down their order. 

Kurt looked amused at Blaine, who was reading the menu like a little kid in a toy store. 

"Are you hungry, honey?" Kurt asked, quickly reaching for his hand over the table. He really needed his touch.

"Very." Blaine responded as he glanced up from the menu to give Kurt a smile, and then looked back down again as he squeezed Kurt's hand, "so you tell me, what's good to eat here?"

"The tacos are delicious, the best you can find. The quesadilla is great too... oh, and the enchiladas. Truth is that I haven't had anything here that I didn't like." Kurt answered, looking at his own menu.

"How about we get all three of those and share?" Blaine asked with a grin.

"Perfect." Kurt agreed.

The hostess appeared as if she had read their minds, and left them alone again as soon as she wrote down their order. 

Kurt stared at Blaine then, studying his hair, his face and grinning like a fool as a lot of butterflies fluttered in his stomach.

Blaine stared back at him, taking in his features, and then smirked at him with soft eyes.

"Do I have something on my face, darling?"

Kurt realized he had been staring at him a bit too much, and blushed terribly. 

"No, sorry, I... I was distracted." Kurt said, stroking Blaine's knuckles with his thumb. "Well, I think tonight should help us get to know each other a little better, so why don't you ask something you want to know and then I'll do the same?"

"Alright." Blaine said as he took a sip of the water that was next to him, "how did you and Jamie meet?"

"Straight to the point, huh? A classmate from college introduced us. We were having some drinks after doing an exam, and Jamie and some other friends of his joined us. From the first moment, for some reason, he put his eyes on me. And I think I was flattered because no one had paid me that kind of attention before. He asked for my number, I gave it to him and almost immediately we started dating. It was easy at first, Jamie was funny and knew how to make you feel like the only person in the world. But now I think about it and... I think I settled. I held on to the first guy who showed interest in me and stopped looking. After two years, our relationship was dead, but I didn't want to see it... until Finn's birthday." Kurt smiled intently at him.

Blaine nodded slowly, eyebrows furrowed as he listened.

"So he wasn't always like he was at the end?"

"No. I was never in love with him and I think he wasn't in love with me either, at least not in the right way, but he was good to me. Although it's true that he didn't usually change his mind. Food, sex, meeting my family... things had to be done his way or we ended up arguing, so most of the time it was easier to give in." 

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." Blaine said softly as he stroked the back of Kurt's hand this time, "what made him not want to meet your family? Finn's a good man."

"I don't know. He only saw them a couple of times, and from then on, the excuses began. He said that Finn and Brooke didn't like him, that the kids got on his nerves... so I ended up going alone to parties and for holidays. When they asked me about him, I put on my best smile and said something like 'Jamie is great, he assured me that he'll come next time.' I think he was just not a very sociable person, he had no contact with his family and saw his friends a couple of times a year. He said he needed nothing apart from his job and me."

Blaine shook his head.

"Wow." He had no words for what he wanted to say, and he didn't want to ruin the night by swearing up a storm about Jamie. He hadn't even met the guy before and yet he hated him, "how on earth do those kids get on anyone's nerves? I don't understand that. But going through something like that is terrible."

"Well, baby, we're their uncles, we're not really objective." Kurt smiled at him. "But do you know what I think the problem was? That in the end, I always had a great time with my family and didn't miss him at all. I should have realized that something was wrong..."

"Well, I don't have any experience with boyfriends, but I think you were just hanging onto him so that you didn't feel lonely." Blaine said with a small smile, "but I still hate that you were treated that way, that you had to defend him even though he didn't deserve it."

"You're probably right." Kurt nodded. "But it's okay, it's on the past. And now I have you." 

As soon as Kurt said that, the hostess brought their food and a couple of sodas. The smell almost made them salivate. 

"I changed my mind, I don't want to share this with you." Kurt teased him.

"Careful, I may just have to fight you for it." Blaine said as he stared down at the food with a hungry look.

He laughed as Kurt held up a fork at pointed it at him playfully. 

"Alright, what shall we try first?"

Kurt put his fork down and picked up one of the tacos, handing it to Blaine. 

"Try this, honey, and tell me what you think."

Blaine took it, trying not to let any of the filling fall out, and bit into it. The flavors exploded on his tongue, and his eyes went wide as he looked back at Kurt.

"Oh my god." He said still chewing, and then realizing that was bad manners, so he swallowed before adding, "that's the best thing I've ever tasted."

"Told you!" Kurt smiled proudly, as if he had cooked them himself. He grabbed another one and quickly brought it to his mouth.

They spent a good while just eating. They didn't need to talk while sharing food, but they laughed nonstop, while their hands always ended up finding one another's over the table whenever they could.

As Blaine ate the last slice of quesadilla as if he tasted the greatest of delicacies, Kurt realized he was staring at him again, but he couldn't help it. He pulled his chair closer to Blaine's, to be next to him instead of in front of him.

"I love watching you eat." Kurt confessed, brushing a curl off Blaine's forehead. "I don't know if it sounds weird that I put it like that, but it's true. You enjoy eating, you don't do it just because it's necessary. You're passionate, you don't care what other people think and just experience it all to the fullest. Since you started working in the magazine, your eyes shine brighter, and I know it's because you appreciate every second you spend there, doing your job and interacting with people... I think it's a wonderful philosophy of life, and I've never met anyone like you."

Blaine opened his mouth to say something, but Kurt shook his head, as if asking him to let him finish.

"I just wanted to tell you that you make me want to be more like that. As I grew up, I felt that everyone had so many prejudices and was so afraid of being who they really were that the best thing you could do was to hide your true self. That way, no one would look at you and could criticize you. But tonight, I didn't mind kissing you in the middle of the street, not letting go of your hand or that we practically fed each other in a public place. I haven't looked at anyone here other than you, not for a second, because nobody else matters, it's all about us. So I guess what I'm trying to say is… thank you for making me feel like this. I'm so proud of you and that you want to be with me."

Blaine just stared at Kurt in awe for a few seconds. A slow smile spread across his lips and his eyes shone with devotion, mirroring the look Kurt was giving him.

There was no doubt in Blaine's mind that Kurt was his soulmate, but even more than that, he was somebody that Blaine loved deeply. He knew it. He felt it.

That small skip of a beat in his heart. The heat that wasn't like the soulmate connection; it was warm and filled his entire body. He loved Kurt, there's no way he could deny it.

Blaine shook his head gently, a giggle of happiness caught in his throat, and he coughed a little before speaking.

"Kurt, nobody had ever told me that they were proud of me before. Thank you, baby." He said in a choked voice, "but you make me feel like I want to be a better person. And I love that, I love feeling like this."

Blaine stopped himself there before he burst out that he actually loved him. It had only been a few days, that might be too soon.

Kurt sighed, but he didn't lose the smile on his face. It seemed to be stuck there, as if something wouldn't let him stop being happy for even a second.

That's how he felt since he and Blaine were together. It was the most addictive sensation he'd ever known, and it wasn't just that heat that ran through his body when they were close to each other and that Kurt was still learning to control. It was something else, something pure and true.

He decided not to think about it for now and focus on what Blaine had just told him.

"You're already a better person, baby, you just need to believe it. And I'm sure there are lots of people proud of you... what about Brooke? I know you two argue a lot, but she adores you."

Blaine did chuckle that time.

"Brooke loves me, I mean, she's my sister...but she didn't really like the person I was before." He said with a shrug, "but I'm trying to be that person that she can be proud of now."

Kurt was about to ask 'what about your parents?', but Blaine had never told him anything about them and he didn't want to force him. He wanted to know everything about Blaine too, but family was always a tricky subject and he preferred to wait for his boyfriend to tell him when he wanted.

"Well, I can't speak for her, but I'm proud. Fate may have decided that you and I are soulmates, but I liked you a lot before I believed in them. Don't forget it." He reached out to caress Blaine's cheek.

"Oh, I'll never forget it." Blaine replied with a smile before leaning in and placing a lingering kiss on Kurt's cheek, nuzzling his nose against it as he pulled back.

Kurt almost chased Blaine's face when he pulled away from him, pouting at the lack of contact.

"How about we ask for the bill, take the long way back to my apartment and keep enjoying the evening? I feel like strolling with you." He suggested.

"That sounds like a good plan." Blaine gave him a smirk.

Kurt gestured to the hostess for the bill, and as soon as she dropped it on the table, he was quick enough to grab it before Blaine did.

"I planned this date and chose the place, so I pay the bill. The next one is up to you, handsome." He said as an explanation, ignoring Blaine's attempts at protest.

After paying the bill, they left the restaurant. Kurt put his arm around Blaine's waist and told him which street to take next. 

A light breeze was blowing, the streets were quiet... everything was perfect.

"I haven't gotten to ask you any questions at the restaurant, so... what did you want to be when you were a kid?" Kurt asked suddenly. "I don't know, I guess a 5-year-old Blaine wasn't dreaming of being a graphic designer."

"Oh, an astronaut, for sure." Blaine laughed, "at 5, I was obsessed with the stars and rockets. I had posters of the planets on my wall, my ceiling was covered in glow-in-the-dark stars, and I had a telescope that I used every night." 

He paused and sighed. 

"Yeah, they were the good old days, dreaming of space and wanting to see the universe. What about you?" He turned to look at Kurt with a small smile, "did little 5-year-old Kurt want to be in fashion?"

Kurt smiled at him, but he knew there was something else behind Blaine's words. He looked into his eyes, trying to figure out what it was, but then he just dropped it.

"That's adorable." He replied. "The truth is that I've always been obsessed with fashion. Since I was a kid, I liked to choose my own clothes and combine them in a striking way, unfortunately for my dad. So working on something connected to it was always an option. That, or music."

"Music? Like instruments?" Blaine asked with a little bit of surprise.

"Not exactly." Kurt looked at the ground, noticing he was blushing. "I joined the glee club in high school. I loved to sing."

"Oh my god!" Blaine burst with excitement, "I joined a glee club in high school too, although we lived in Connecticut then, but...I loved singing back then."

"Really?" Kurt looked at him with a wide smile. "And I was worried that you would think it was ridiculous. Were you guys good?"

"We weren't bad. They made me the front man, which I loved, but we didn't really go to competitions because it wasn't an extra curricular activity, it was just for fun. What about you? Were you good?" Blaine asked as his eyes shone with excitement at having something in common with Kurt, "I bet you have a great singing voice."

"I'm dating the front man… do you see why I have to be proud of you?" Kurt pecked his cheek. "We did go to a couple of competitions, but we never won. It was a bit frustrating because Rachel, one of the girls, always got all the solos. Now we're friends, even if we can't see each other much because she lives in another city, but back then she was my rival. I was never sure my voice was good, though."

"Well, if I love listening to your voice when you're speaking, I will surely be amazed at your singing voice." Blaine smiled widely, "I bet it's like an angel singing." 

They turned the corner at the end of the street, and then found themselves a little way away from Kurt's apartment building.

"I have an idea. Why don't we go back to my place and you sing something for me?" Kurt grabbed the front of Blaine's shirt, gently tugging on it.

Blaine smirked, looking down at Kurt's hand lightly fisted in his shirt, and ran the fingers of his own hand along Kurt's forearm, watching with delight as goosebumps appeared on his skin. 

"Only if you sing for me too."

Kurt sighed, forgetting his request for a second as he felt Blaine's fingers on his skin, but then he saw the amused glint in Blaine's eyes and laughed. 

"You called me 'angel', I guess I can't say no." 

Blaine couldn't take his eyes off of Kurt's relaxed and happy looking face, because it was great to see the change in him. He looked amazing, like his soul was glowing and you could see it in his eyes. Blaine wanted to always see that look, and never be the reason for it to fade. 

As soon as Kurt pushed open the door of his apartment, Blaine had to show him just how much he appreciated him. So when the door closed softly, he wrapped an arm around Kurt's waist and pulled him close. 

Their lips met gently, both of them humming against the other as the feelings ignited again, but Blaine kept it close-mouthed and soft. A loving kiss that both of them needed; it was no less passionate than their other kisses, but it was more pure and innocent. 

The perfect kiss after a first date, in Blaine's opinion.

It left Kurt wanting more, but he didn't try to go any further because it wasn't the time. He just needed to stay just like that, with Blaine close to his body and looking at him like he was the most valuable thing to him. Kurt didn't think he'd ever been so incredibly happy. 

He took the hand that Blaine had placed on his waist and brought it to his lips, kissing the palm and the back of it. 

"You know that you're not going to make me forget about the song because of this kiss, right?" Kurt smirked at him.

"No, definitely not. I just needed to do that." Blaine said as he then led Kurt by the hand and made him sit on the couch. "So who's singing first?"

"You, of course. It was my idea, after all." Kurt said excitedly.

Blaine laughed. 

"Alright. You ready for this?" He said as he stood back with a grin, and made sure he was standing in the middle of the floor like he would have in his club at school, "it's a little different from other songs I've done before but…I think you'll like it." 

"That Arizona sky  
Burning in your eyes  
You look at me and, babe,  
I wanna catch on fire" 

Blaine grinned down at Kurt as he gave him a wink. 

"It's buried in my soul  
Like California gold  
You found the light in me  
That I couldn't find" 

He closed his eyes as he really went for it with the song. The lyrics were exactly how he felt tonight. Kurt was his everything, and he wanted to reflect that in song.

"So when I'm all choked up  
But I can't find the words  
Every time we say goodbye  
Baby, it hurts"

"When the sun goes down  
And the band won't play  
I'll always remember us this way" 

Blaine walked forward and came to a stop in front of Kurt, putting himself on his knees in front of him and smiling as he sang the last part softly. 

"When you look at me  
And the whole world fades,  
I'll always remember us this way"

Kurt couldn't react for almost a minute. Finally, without taking his eyes off Blaine, he quickly wiped away the tears that at some point had started to roll down his cheeks and kissed Blaine. He kissed his lips, his cheeks, his eyelids, his nose and his lips again. 

"You're amazing." Kurt whispered, the emotion contained in his voice as he pulled away just an inch from Blaine. "Your voice is amazing, the song is amazing and I'm gonna remember this moment for the rest of my life."

Blaine leaned into him once more, his lips tingling as they lingered on Kurt's for a few seconds. 

As he pulled back, he placed his forehead against Kurt's and whispered, "Your turn, gorgeous."

"I think I've made the wrong choice, I don't know if I'll be able to sing after crying." Kurt laughed, kissing Blaine's forehead before standing up. 

He hadn't sung in front of anyone for years, ever since he finished high school. He was a bit embarrassed, but it was Blaine who was in front of him. He knew that he would never judge him or laugh at him. 

He tried to think what to sing, and then he knew. A few days ago, he was listening to a Maroon 5 playlist and when a song came out, he immediately thought of Blaine. 

He cleared his throat and smiled at Blaine before starting. 

"Woke up sweating from a dream  
With a different kind of feeling  
All day long my heart was beating  
Searching for the meaning" 

He looked at Blaine, who was watching him with an expression he couldn't decipher. 

"Hazel eyes, I was so color blind  
We were just wasting time, uh-oh yeah"

Kurt leaned a little closer, pointing a finger at him. 

"But now I realize  
It was always you  
Can't believe I could not see it all this time, all this time  
It was always you  
Now I know why my heart wasn't satisfied, satisfied" 

Kurt kept singing, staring at Blaine, trying to let him know that each word came straight from his heart to his. 

He sat down on the couch next to Blaine to whisper the last few sentences. 

"No more guessing who  
Looking back now I know it was always you, always you  
It was always you"

Blaine literally tackled Kurt onto the couch, and they both giggled together as Blaine wrapped his arms around him and buried his face against his neck. He started placing kisses over the skin underneath his mouth, and then pulled back to look at Kurt's face. 

"If my voice was amazing, sweetheart," he said as he lay half on top of Kurt, "then yours comes from a different world. That was incredible, and so moving."

"I'm glad you liked it." Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's back to pull him closer to his chest. "And I meant it. It was always you."

"You too." Blaine whispered as he laid his cheek against Kurt's chest and settled on top of him. 

The closeness was nice.

Kurt smiled, tightening the hug even more. Blaine's weight on his body was a pleasant sensation he was dying to get used to. He moved one of his hands up to Blaine's hair and began stroking his curls.

Blaine moaned softly in his throat. 

"Carry on if you want me to fall asleep on you." He teased.

"I can think of worse scenarios than that." Kurt chuckled, and Blaine felt the vibration of his chest against his face.

Blaine nuzzled his cheek against Kurt's shirt, feeling the warm skin over hard muscle underneath. Blaine had never cuddled with any man other than Nate before. Not even Dylan had had that privilege. 

His connection with Kurt made the cuddle even better, because it comforted him in a way that nothing had ever done before. Not friends, or family...or his one night stands. This was different. 

"Do you ever think about what you want in the future?" He asked all of a sudden, still laying there while Kurt was playing with his hair. He was too comfortable to move, "I mean, you know my dreams and what I want, but I don't know yours."

Kurt froze for a moment before resuming his caresses to Blaine's hair. 

If someone had asked him that question months ago, Kurt would have given a vague and generic answer. But maybe everything he had dreamed of could come true now. 

"Yes, of course I think about the future." He told Blaine. "If I can aim high, I would like to run my own magazine and write fashion books, and become a respectable name, someone that people would recognize in that world. And... I would like to get married, and have kids. I would love to have a nice house to come back to after a long day at work, and curl up on the couch with my husband while a couple of kids come to sit on my lap. I want a family, a home."

Blaine hummed sleepily, and Kurt felt the smile form on his face since Blaine's cheek was still against his chest. 

"You'd be amazing, running your own magazine." Blaine told him in a low voice, "and you would be an amazing father. Anna and Jack love you so much."

"Come on, you're their favourite uncle, we both know that." Kurt laughed, and began to move the hand that wasn't in Blaine's hair up and down his back.

"Maybe Anna's, but you're definitely little Jack's favourite." Blaine laughed too.

"Okay, you're right." Kurt replied proudly, and smiled at Blaine when he rested his chin on his chest to look at him. "Do you remember the night we babysat them?"

"How could I forget?" Blaine answered with a grin, "our first dance."

"First and only, for now." Kurt remarked.

"So if I took you to dance on our next date, you wouldn't dance with me?" He said with a fake pout.

"Do you want to take me to dance?" Kurt reached out to rub Blaine's lower lip and get him to remove the pout, and laughed when Blaine playfully bit his thumb. "I think there are very few plans that I would say 'no' to if you proposed them... unless it has to do with the countryside. There are bugs, I don't like it."

Blaine laughed. 

"Aww, are you scared of bugs? I'll have to take 'camping under the stars' off of my list of things to do." He said with a big grin. 

As they both laughed and then fell silent, some kind of atmosphere fell over them, some kind of tension that Blaine could feel pulling at his insides. 

He wanted Kurt. He really wanted him, but he knew it was too soon. He wouldn't mess this up. 

He smiled at Kurt as he got up, pulling Kurt up to sit with him. 

"So what did you want to do now? Ice-cream? Trashy TV?"

'I want us to go to my bedroom, get naked and not get out of there for weeks'. That was Kurt's first thought, feeling all of his skin burning suddenly, starving for Blaine.

He was sure that Blaine felt the same for the way he was looking at him, and that if he insisted a bit, he would get what he wanted, but... no. Not tonight. He knew they had to wait a little longer.

Kurt got up from the couch before changing his mind. 

"You can choose what we watch. The remote is on the table, so you can pick up something on Netflix. I also have some movies on the shelf. I'll go get us something to eat."

Blaine nodded as he got up and grabbed the remote, turning the TV on. He began idly flicking through Netflix to find something they would both be interested in, and as he was, he thought about what had just happened. 

This relationship was going to be hard to get through without ravaging Kurt, Blaine could tell. He knew they both felt the same exact feelings for each other, but he had agreed to take things slowly, just like you would with any new romantic interest: date, get to know each other, share secrets...and then make love. 

That was the plan, and Blaine loved it. He wanted to get to know Kurt, he felt so lucky to even be in the same room as him, and to get to kiss his soulmate was incredible. 

Sex, though...Blaine hadn't had sex for over a month, and it was getting to him. Masturbation was great, but it didn't cure the itch underneath his skin. Especially now that he was in love, and he had a soulmate whom returned those feelings...he just wanted to rip all of Kurt's clothes off and do things to him. Things that normal people would blush at. 

He coughed when he started to feel aroused as his thoughts went back to Kurt. It didn't help the situation that he already knew what Kurt looked like, and smelled like, and tasted like underneath his clothes. 

He sighed as he tried to calm himself. 'Not tonight, Anderson, get yourself under control. This is for Kurt'.

His eyes focused on Netflix again as Kurt came back into the room and he still hadn't chosen anything. 

"Do you want me to choose a movie or a series?" He asked.

"Whatever you want, baby." Kurt walked over, placing a bowl of popcorn and two small tubs of chocolate ice-cream on the table before sitting down on the couch next to Blaine. 

He was about to cuddle with him, but Kurt was still trying to cool himself down, so he put some distance between them instead. 

"I brought sweet and salty." He said, pointing to the table.

"Oh, have you ever tried them mixed together?" Blaine asked with a smile as he still flicked through the movies on the TV.

"Disgusting." Was Kurt's reply, who picked up his ice-cream tub and leaned back on the couch.

"Nah-ah, you don't get to say 'disgusting' unless you try it." Blaine turned and picked up a piece of popcorn, dipped it into the ice-cream and then held it up to Kurt's mouth, "say 'ah'."

"I hope you appreciate what I'm about to do for you." Kurt wrinkled his nose but opened his mouth. 

"And you'll appreciate this." Blaine smirked as he popped it into Kurt's mouth and watched him chew, "so...?"

As happened to Blaine the other day when he tasted the cheesecake at Kurt's office, when Kurt chewed the chocolate-dipped popcorn, a high-pitched moan escaped his throat. 

He blushed before swallowing, and avoided Blaine's gaze. 

"Okay, you were right. It's really good." He said with a cheerful tone to loosen the atmosphere.

"Well, then maybe we don't mix them with you when I'm around." Blaine said with a little chuckle, and then grabbed the popcorn bowl for himself, "I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off of you if you make noises like that over popcorn."

Kurt laughed, biting his lower lip and glancing shyly at Blaine. 

"I'm sorry. There was a weird moment before I went to the kitchen. I didn't imagine it, did I?" He asked.

"Weird?" Blaine raised an eyebrow, finally settling on a movie on Netflix, "you mean the super charged sexual tension that was about to snap? That weird thing?"

"Yeah, that." Kurt sighed, thankful that Blaine made it easy for him and didn't beat around the bush.

"Yeah, it happened. But as you can clearly see, we're not animals. We didn't give into our urges." Blaine said in a matter-of-fact way, which made Kurt laugh, but the laughter stopped when Blaine looked at him with darkened eyes, "no matter how much we want to."

"Then don't look at me like that, because I don't know how long I'm going to be able to hold out without jumping on you." 

Kurt's breath was starting to quicken, as his gaze travelled from Blaine's darkened eyes to his lips. His perfect and full pink lips.

Blaine shook his head as he felt the beginnings of his Anderson smile start growing. No, he wouldn't do that to Kurt. Kurt wasn't a one-night stand. 

"I think I need to calm down a little." Blaine said with a small laugh at himself, and then eyed Kurt curiously, "would you cuddle with me while we watch the movie? It helped earlier."

Kurt took a couple of deep breaths and smiled at Blaine. It was a tender smile, without any sexual charge. The moment had passed and they hadn't lost control. Kurt knew it was for the best. 

"Of course, honey. Do you want me to hold you or you hold me?"

Blaine scooted closer and placed his arm around Kurt's shoulder, making Kurt sink down a little to put his head on Blaine's shoulder. 

"You still need two hands for the ice-cream, I only need one for popcorn." Blaine said as an explanation, "I'll hold you now, you can hold me next time." He turned his face a little and gave Kurt a smile.

Kurt lifted his face to kiss Blaine softly before resting his head on his shoulder. 

"Great. You're a good pillow, you know?" Kurt popped a scoop of ice-cream into his mouth as he tried to figure out what the movie was about.

"Are you saying I'm squishy?" Blaine laughed, and as Kurt just shrugged, they both fell into silence as they got into the movie.

******

They had been watching the movie for almost two hours when Kurt began to have trouble staying awake. He was so comfortable lying on Blaine's chest, surrounded by his scent and warmth, that he couldn't help closing his eyes for a couple of minutes.

His head bounced a little and disturbed him, as Blaine chuckled down at him. 

"Baby, are you tired?"

"No, no, I'm watching it." Kurt shook his head and widened his eyes, trying not to crash on the couch.

Blaine kissed his forehead with a smile. 

"Come on, we should probably sleep." He said as he helped Kurt sit up.

"Okay. But only because I can tell you're tired." Kurt yawned before standing up, holding out his hand to Blaine as he turned off the TV.

Blaine laughed as he copied Kurt's yawn. He took Kurt's hand and stood up, stretching his arms over his head.

"Come on, grandpa, I know couches aren't good for your back." Kurt laughed. 

Blaine stuck his tongue out at him and they walked into the bedroom together.

Kurt's room was big and simple, but with style. Most of the space was taken by the bed and a large closet. There were also a couple of nightstands, a small desk and a vintage trunk at the foot of the bed. 

It was the first time they were in there together, and Kurt glanced at Blaine nervously. 

"If you want to put your pyjamas on in the bathroom, I'll wait here."

"Well, I've just got a t-shirt and shorts, so I don't really need privacy. Do you need me to go?" Blaine asked him and rummaged through the bag he had left there earlier.

Kurt felt ridiculous when he thought that he had already seen Blaine much more naked than that. 

Shit. The thought of Blaine's naked body and the night they spent together woke him up suddenly. 

"No, it's okay. You can change here." He said, hoping to sound nonchalantly. 

Kurt went to his closet and pulled out a white tank top and thin pyjama pants. He faced the closet as he got undressed, resisting the urge to look over his shoulder.

"I know it's difficult when we're both getting undressed in the same room…" Blaine said from behind him, "but Kurt, look at me. Please."

Kurt sighed, wondering if Blaine was able to read his mind or he was just so obvious. He finished putting on his pants and turned around, looking Blaine in the eye.

Blaine gave him a soft look, that was equal parts understanding and sympathetic.

"You don't need to be embarrassed or shy around me, honey, I'm not going anywhere. I'm here, I'm with you. Even though we're dating and keeping our hands to ourselves, you can look at me, Kurt." 

He smiled widely as he walked towards him, and then cupped Kurt's cheeks with both hands. 

"Trust me, I get urges just like you, but the more time we spend with each other and let ourselves feel, and look, and touch, the more control we'll have over it."

Kurt placed his hands on Blaine's waist and pulled him a little closer. 

"I'm sorry. Sometimes I feel like a child here, as if everything makes me afraid or ashamed, but it's not like that. I'm very sure about this, but... baby, you're so hot, you have to understand that seeing you like this in my bedroom has an effect on me." He giggled, nuzzling the crook of Blaine's neck. "But I know you're right, it will get easier. I'm not pulling away from you, quite the opposite."

Blaine chuckled a little and ran his hands over Kurt's arms gently, moving them all the way up to the top of his shoulders. 

"I know it feels like you'll lose control, I feel it too. But we're stronger than that, Kurt. I believe in us." He said as he pulled back and gave Kurt's cheek a quick kiss, "come on, let's go to sleep."

Kurt let Blaine lead him to the bed, and he just smiled when Blaine crawled directly onto the left side, as if he knew Kurt always slept on the right. 

They settled under the sheets, lying on their sides so they could look at each other. 

"Since we're stronger than that, is it okay if I give you a good night kiss? Or a few." Kurt looked at Blaine, fluttering his lashes.

Blaine scooted a little closer on the bed and rubbed his nose on Kurt's a little with a smile. 

"Of course it's okay."

Kurt cut the little space between them and kissed him, placing his hand on the back of Blaine's neck. 

He began to slide his lips very gently over Blaine's, enjoying the contact as his fingers played with Blaine's curls.

Blaine responded equally as gently and let out a soft hum of enjoyment. He placed one hand underneath Kurt's head and the other over Kurt's waist, just below his ribs.

Kurt pressed the tip of his tongue lightly on Blaine's lips, and when he opened them for him, Kurt took the opportunity to slowly push his tongue into Blaine's mouth. When their tongues met, they slowly tangled for a minute until Kurt pulled away, trying to catch his breath. 

"So... good night, I guess." He whispered, licking his lips and looking at Blaine with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"Just one more." Blaine said with a small smile before diving back for Kurt's mouth, stealing both of their breaths with the passion in it. 

His tongue wrapped around Kurt's as his hands did the same around his body, pulling them closer and tighter together for a few moments. 

Blaine pulled back as Kurt's breathing turned ragged, and he gasped as their mouths separated.

"Sorry, I had to..."

"It's okay, it's... totally okay." 

Kurt's hands itched for slipping under Blaine's t-shirt and losing themselves on his smooth skin and strong muscles. But instead, Kurt turned to turn off the light and lay on his back, holding out an arm towards Blaine. 

"Do you want to snuggle with me?"

"Yes. Yes, I do." Blaine grinned at him before nuzzling himself into Kurt's side, inhaling his scent and sighing out in appreciation.

Kurt smiled and gently kissed the top of Blaine's head before wrapping his arm around him and closing his eyes. 

"Good night, baby."

"Good night, sweetheart." Was the last whisper in the air of the room before they both drifted off into sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

Blaine snuffled as he blinked awake. He was warm and comfortable, and nuzzled his cheek against the pillow, or what he thought was the pillow, but it wasn't.

He felt warmth under his cheek, and then realized his pillow was slowly moving up and down, so he turned his face to look up. He blinked a few times in confusion before remembering where he was. He was at Kurt's; he had spent the night and they had slept together.

He smiled lazily as he placed his cheek back down, not wanting to get up just yet, but as he shuffled closer, he realized that his hips were flush to Kurt's thigh and there was a situation down there.

He reluctantly pulled his hips backwards, making sure that his morning erection wasn't in contact with Kurt's body at all. He chuckled a little as he placed a kiss against Kurt's shoulder, and then sat up slowly.

He shook the sleep off and looked back down at the angel sleeping beside him. His boyfriend was so gorgeous, there was no describing words that really matched how Kurt looked. His gaze wandered down Kurt's tank top covered chest and then ended around his waist. The covers had fallen down a little as Blaine had sat up, but he wouldn't let his gaze go down any further. Kurt was a man too, and he would be probably affected by the same morning erection situation.

He giggled lightly to himself and leaned down to press a small kiss to Kurt's warm cheek before getting out of the bed. He yawned as he stretched out his limbs and walked to the door. 

He had an idea come to him as he headed to the bathroom to relieve himself: he would make Kurt breakfast in bed. He didn't know if Kurt had had anyone make him breakfast before, but Blaine wanted to do it.

A couple of minutes later, he was mixing pancake batter in Kurt's kitchen and turning on the coffee machine, humming along to himself as he poured some of the mixture into a pan, and then turning to cut up some fruit too.

"What are you doing?"

Kurt's sleepy voice startled Blaine. When he turned around, he found Kurt leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest and an amused smile on his face.

"Aw, no!" Blaine pouted, "you're not supposed to be awake yet. I was going to bring you breakfast in bed, and I can't do that if you're not in bed."

He slumped in defeat a little as he turned a pancake over in the pan, and then gave Kurt a smile. 

"Good morning, anyway."

Kurt walked up to him and wrapped his arm around Blaine's shoulders before kissing him.

"Good morning. I can go back to bed if you want. I think I woke up when I noticed you were gone."

He moved behind Blaine, putting both arms around Blaine's waist and his chin on his shoulder. That was when Blaine confirmed his theory; something was wide awake under Kurt's pants.

Blaine's eyes widened as he tried to move his hips away from Kurt's, leaning back against his chest instead. He moved one of his hands up and over to place it on Kurt's cheek, stroking it gently.

"You're making it so hard for me not to pull you back to your bed and lose control." Blaine said softly, "you know I can feel that erection behind me, right?"

Kurt immediately blushed and pulled away from Blaine, standing next to him instead.

"It was unintentionally, sorry." He bit his lower lip as he poured out two cups of coffee.

"Don't worry, I had my own situation this morning when I woke up." Blaine laughed, "I had to move away before I did something that we're not ready for."

He turned and leaned over to place a kiss to Kurt's naked shoulder.

Something inside Kurt stirred pleasantly at the thought of those things Blaine wanted to do to him. But he was right… they weren't ready, were they? It was getting harder and harder to convince himself.

"At least we were able to sleep together, and I have to say that I really liked the experience. I think you didn't detach yourself from me all night." Kurt smiled fondly at his boyfriend, handing him one of the cups.

Blaine giggled as he plated up the pancakes and then moved some fruit onto them as he turned the pan off. 

"Yeah, I woke up and I was wrapped around you so tightly." He told him as he moved the plates to the kitchen table, "but I must say...it was the best night sleep I ever had."

Kurt followed Blaine to the table, setting his coffee on it before approaching him and cupping Blaine's face with his hands.

"Me too. I was fast asleep and I think I felt the moment that you separated from me and that woke me up. For a moment, I was scared that you were gone, but actually you were here, making me breakfast and being the best boyfriend ever." Kurt said, stroking Blaine's cheekbones with his thumbs.

Blaine smiled softly, staring at Kurt affectionately before leaning in and sealing their lips together in a tender kiss.

Kurt moaned as he felt Blaine's lips on his. It had become his favorite sensation. He deepened the kiss a bit, moving Blaine's head until their mouths fit perfectly.

Blaine hummed a little under his breath as he slid his lips over Kurt's, before pulling away slowly, letting their lips disconnect gently. He blew out a breath.

"I never really knew that simple kisses could feel as good as they do with you." He whispered and, as he spoke, he was still so close that his lips brushed against Kurt's with every word.

"It's special, isn't it? I think I could just be kissing you all day." Kurt nuzzled Blaine's nose, not wanting to put any distance between them.

"We could…" Blaine grinned, "but then our breakfast would go cold."

Blaine glanced down at the plates and then back to Kurt. He gave him one last gentle peck on the lips before pulling out one chair and gesturing for Kurt to sit.

"Thank you." Kurt smiled sheepishly before sitting down. "It sounds ridiculous if I tell you that you're the only person besides my family who has made me breakfast? And I know it's not the first time you've done it, but it's the first time since we've been together, and I love it."

"It's not ridiculous." Blaine told him with a frown, "maybe a little sad that nobody has ever done it when they've been with you. You deserve it." 

Blaine gave him a little grin before sitting in his own chair opposite him and digging into his breakfast.

"Maybe it had to be this way. Maybe you had to be the first." Kurt smiled, hiding certain implications behind his words. 

When Kurt took the first bite of the pancakes, he practically licked his lips with pleasure.

"These are delicious, baby. I can forgive you not knowing how to cook anything else."

Blaine gave him one of those very soft looks across the table, chewing his own breakfast with a small smile. 

"Hey, I can always learn how to cook other things." He chuckled a little.

"Do you want me to teach you how to cook?" Kurt grinned at him. "Oh, my mind is filling with images right now, and in all of them you wear an apron." He giggled before shoving another piece of pancake in his mouth.

"An apron and nothing else?" Blaine asked with a smirk.

"Trust me, we wouldn't cook anything if that was the case." Kurt took a sip of his coffee, though over the top of his mug he was still staring at Blaine.

Blaine laughed heartily; it burst out of him so loud and happy. The big smile on his face didn't leave throughout breakfast. When he had calmed himself, he was about to ask Kurt something when they were interrupted by a phone ringing from the bedroom. 

"It's mine." Kurt got up and ran to his room. His phone was still on the nightstand, where he had left it the night before. 

When he picked it up, he looked at the screen and wrinkled his nose before answering. 

"Hi, dad."

"Hey, buddy, how are you?" Burt asked with a light tone.

"I'm great, just... having breakfast. What about you? Are you and Carole okay?" Kurt asked nervously. 

He knew he was an adult and didn't have to explain to anyone, but he was a little embarrassed to talk to his dad when less than an hour ago he was curled up in bed with a boyfriend he hadn't told him about yet.

"Yeah, we're both good. I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing, and also to let you know that Carole and I will be coming down in 2 weeks for a visit."

"Oh my god, that's amazing! I can't wait to see you, guys." Kurt smiled at the prospect of hugging his dad soon. "Did you tell Finn?"

"Yes, we did." Burt laughed, "Carole called him last night to ask if it would be okay, because Finn told us the other day that Brooke was a little ill."

"Yeah, do you know if she's doing better? I'm sure she'll be when you get here, anyway." 

Kurt heard noise from the kitchen, and knew that Blaine had probably finished his breakfast and was clearing the table. He smiled; that domesticity felt good.

"Yes, she's feeling a little better. Finn said it wasn't anything serious." Burt told him, "now, what about you? How are you doing now with all that confusing relationship thing?"

"Yeah, about that..." Kurt smiled, scratching the back of his neck and pacing the room. It would always be easier to tell his dad on the phone than for him to find out when he got to New York. "I'm doing... we're doing great. We're together now."

"Oh, that's great, buddy. I'm happy for you."

"You really are?" Kurt asked, surprised and relieved in equal parts.

"Of course. If he makes you happy," Burt said seriously, "then I'm happy for you. All I want is for you to be happy."

"I'm happier than I've ever been." Kurt confessed. "And you were right... he's my soulmate."

"Oh!" Burt exclaimed a little loudly, "that's amazing, kiddo. So how long have you been together now?"

Blaine walked into the bedroom, while Kurt was still on the phone, and smiled at him as he grabbed some clothes from his bag and mouthed 'shower' at Kurt before blowing him a kiss and walking back out.

Kurt sighed happily looking towards the door. 

"Since Tuesday night. I went to talk to him after our phone conversation."

"Wow, so still pretty new." Burt laughed, "I remember what that was like. How are you handling the connection?"

Kurt felt the blush spread all over his face. He didn't know how to tell his dad that every time he touched Blaine all his skin burnt and he just wanted to hold onto him. 

"We're taking it easy. We don't want to rush things." He finally said.

"That's probably a good idea, but don't worry, that side of the connection eases off eventually." Burt told him, "I can't tell you how many times your mother and I...well, we ended up deciding to take it easy too after a few weeks."

"Please, dad, I didn't need to know that." Kurt grimaced, but then he thought that maybe that gave him an excuse to be honest. "Dad... how did you know you were ready? I mean, it's not that I've never... obviously Blaine and I already... ugh, I mean if there's some signal when it comes to your soulmate."

Burt hummed down the phone as he thought about it. 

"Well, your connection is going to be stronger, because you and Blaine have already slept together...even if you weren't together, now that you've bonded properly as soulmates, your body is probably craving that intimacy again." He explained, "but I should say... there's no time limit for soulmates, Kurt. I mean, soulmates tend to be together until the day they die, so if you wanna have sex, then have sex. You and Blaine are the only ones who can work out when you guys want to. There's no ready." He added, "soulmates are soulmates, no matter when they have sex."

Kurt tried to take in what his father had just told him before asking out loud what had been in his head since yesterday. 

"Well, I... it's not just attraction, dad. It's something else, and that something else has been there since before I wanted to believe we were soulmates." 

"Then maybe you're already in love with this guy." Burt said gently. 

Kurt thought about it for a while, and realized that his father was right. It was the kind of feeling that would mean he was in love with Blaine. It was no longer a 'maybe' or an 'I think'... he loved Blaine. He smiled to himself, but he didn't say anything to his dad about it. 

"So it wouldn't be a mistake not to wait?" 

"It wouldn't be a mistake, but you can't pick and choose when you want to. Blaine is a part of this situation now, so you should decide together. If you guys agreed to wait, then you should wait. Pushing the boundaries aside now would be a mistake." Burt explained, "this relationship is new, and while you're still getting to know each other, I think it's the right decision to take things slow."

Kurt nodded as he sat on the edge of the bed. 

"I think we have to talk about it. It's true that there are a lot of things we don't know about each other yet, but I feel like I've known him my whole life, you know? I guess we came to that decision because the whole soulmate thing is new to me and I'm still learning to handle it, and he wants to give me time and respect me, and... he's wonderful, dad."

"I'm glad he's treating you right. That makes me feel so much better." Burt said with a smile in his voice, "so would he be around when me and Carole come down? I wanna meet this guy."

"I'll have to ask Blaine, but I'd love for you and Carole to meet him." Kurt smiled at the thought.

"If he's a good, respectable guy like you've told me, I'm sure he would be more than happy to meet your parents."

Kurt suddenly had doubts. They still didn't know if it was too early to have sex, and now were parents coming into the equation? He didn't want to scare Blaine. 

"But you have to promise me that you'll be nice to him, and you won't start questioning him before you even say 'hi'."

"I'll be nice." Burt laughed.

"Okay." Kurt laughed too. 

When he stopped hearing the shower water, he decided it was time to say 'goodbye'. 

"Dad, I have to go now, but we'll talk soon, okay? I really want to see you, and Carole."

"Alright. We'll let you know closer to the time, and give you our flight times."

"Yeah, sure. I'll pick you up at the airport."

"Okay. Take care, buddy. I love you."

"Love you too, dad. Bye."

After Kurt hung up the phone, he was a little nervous. Should he tell Blaine about the visit now and avoid prolonging the awkwardness? What would Blaine say? 

Would he even be interested in meeting Burt and Carole? 

All these familiar and devastating feelings suddenly came rushing back into his chest, just like when he was with Jamie. He knew that Blaine wasn't like his ex-boyfriend at all, and he already met Finn and Camille, and loved his niece and nephew as much as Kurt did. But Kurt couldn't help all of those old fears from before resurfacing. 

Yes, he decided. He would tell Blaine now and then take the response as it came. If Blaine wasn't ready yet, he wouldn't force him.

Blaine re-entered Kurt's bedroom a couple of minutes later, still drying his curly hair with the towel and dressed in a blue t-shirt and dark blue jeans that had rips in the knees. 

He looked at Kurt with a smile, and as he walked past, he leaned down and pressed a kiss on Kurt's forehead, and then stuffed his sleep clothes in his bag. 

"Who was that on the phone?"

"It was my dad." Kurt replied, before taking a deep breath and looking at Blaine. "Honey, I have to ask you something."

"Sure." Blaine turned to him and took the towel off of his shoulders, shaking out his still damp curls.

Kurt was distracted for a moment by the movement of Blaine's curls. They would be his end one of those days. 

"Come here". Kurt finally sighed and patted the patch of bed right next to him, silently asking Blaine to sit down.

Blaine sent him a confused look and then sat down on the bed, with one leg behind Kurt and the other one hanging down off of the bed, so that he could look at him. 

He gave Kurt an encouraging smile.

"Okay, I want you to know that you can say 'no' to what I'm going to ask you, or take some time to think about it. We've been together for a very short time and I don't want you to feel pressured." Kurt blurted out, his eyes fixed on his lap.

"Kurt, would you please look at me if you're asking me something?" Blaine asked, placing his hand on Kurt's cheek, and as soon as Kurt raised his head, he grinned widely, "that's better. Now, what is it?"

"My dad and Carole are coming to visit in a couple of weeks. I told my dad that we're together and... he wants to meet you." Kurt said, not taking his eyes off Blaine and chewing the inside of his cheek.

Blaine's eyes twinkled a little with excitement. 

"Is that a question, or are you going to actually ask me something?" He teased gently.

"Blaine, come on!" Kurt shook his head and brought one of his hands up to Blaine's chest, playing with the fabric of his t-shirt. "Do you want to meet my parents?" He finally asked.

Blaine laughed and grabbed onto Kurt's hand on his t-shirt. 

"Of course I do, what do you think?" He said excitedly, a huge smile on his face and warm eyes, "I need to thank the man that brought you to me."

Kurt gaped at him, unable to say anything for a minute. Blaine hadn't hesitated, and he didn't seem to be accepting out of compromise or so that Kurt wouldn't get angry. He seemed really happy with the idea. Kurt couldn't believe it. 

"You're serious." He stated.

Blaine's smile dropped into a confused frown. 

"What? Of course I am." He paused as a thought came to him, "wait. Did you think I would say 'no' like Jamie?"

"I know you're not like him, at all." Kurt assured him, raising the hand that was on Blaine's chest to cup his face. "But I guess his continuous refusals made me doubt... it's too soon, I'd understand if you said 'no'. It's a huge step."

"Yeah, it's a huge step, and you're hugely important to me." Blaine said as he leaned into Kurt's hand, "you don't seem to realize how much this whole relationship means to me. I've never had this before, so if it's too fast, I wouldn't know. But I'm excited to meet your parents. I really am."

Touched by everything he was feeling, Kurt held back his tears before leaning towards Blaine and kissing him. He pressed his lips against his before pulling away and wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck to hug him tightly. 

"You don't know how important this is to me. I don't care if it's too soon; I'm tired of thinking and controlling everything that happens between us. I want to do it, so if you want to, there's nothing more to say."

"Do it?" Blaine asked a little confused as he wrapped his own arms around Kurt, "do what?"

"Introduce you to my parents." Kurt pulled away a bit to look at Blaine with a smile on his lips. "What did you think I was talking about?"

Blaine chuckled lightly. 

"The way you said it, I thought you meant something else." He said with a smirk, "I have a dirty mind, sorry."

Without removing his arms from around Blaine's neck, Kurt leaned in again to whisper in his ear. 

"Well, if I'm right about what your dirty mind is thinking, I may be getting tired of waiting too."

"Ah, so you're thinking about me blowing you too?" Blaine teased him and chuckled as he gripped Kurt tightly so that he couldn't pull away and glare at him.

"It's one of the possibilities, yeah." Kurt replied as he felt the heat rush through him from head to toe.

"3rd or 4th date?" Blaine asked with a chuckle, and he did receive a little smack on the arm from Kurt then, causing him to laugh louder.

"I think if I answer that question, I won't be able to enjoy our next dates because I'll just be thinking about it." Kurt laughed. "Let's just say the next time we both feel like it, we won't back down. Except right now, because I haven't even had a shower yet, but you smell too good and I can't think clearly."

Blaine froze this time at what Kurt just said, and he pulled back with a smile. 

"I thought we agreed to take things slow."

Kurt shrugged before smiling back at him. 

"What is slow? What is fast? I've talked to my dad about this, I hope you don't mind, and he made me see that there is no 'right time'. I think it was a good decision not to get all carried away the same day that we decided to be together, or in my office, for god's sake. But I think we're both in this for the long haul... you just said you want to meet my parents. Maybe we're overthinking it. If we both want to, and I know that I do, what's wrong with it?"

"I get your point." Blaine grinned. "We don't need time limits for anything we do; it's all about us, how we feel and how we think. But..." 

He paused, because he didn't know how to explain it.

"But what?" Kurt gently caressed the back of Blaine's neck with his fingers, as he looked at him with bright eyes. "How many times have you told me that this is only going to work if we're always honest with each other? Tell me."

"I say that quite a lot, don't I?" Blaine said as he chuckled, and then grabbed Kurt's hands and pulled him to sit with him in the middle of the bed, facing each other. "Okay, here it goes."

He took a deep breath and stared into Kurt's eyes. Seeing no judgement, only curiosity and affection, gave him more courage.

"I like the way things are right now." Blaine told him honestly, "don't take offense at this or anything, but sex isn't a new thing for me...even though sex with you is so different than anything else. I just haven't done the dating thing or the boyfriend thing before... I haven't been domestic with somebody, cooked with somebody, had sleepovers, been flirty, been fun... and I really like it."

He gave Kurt a smile.

"I guess I don't want that to change yet. I'm still in this new phase, and it's exciting, and I never know what's coming next, and I love it. I love..." He paused as he smiled at Kurt, "I love being with you."

Kurt gave him the biggest of his smiles, feeling his heart pounding in his chest.

"Baby, I love all that. I love being with you, every second. Last night and this morning... everything has been so perfect that I think I'll wake up at any moment and find out that it isn't real. I hope you know I didn't say what I said to pressure you. We can wait as long as you want. But I can assure you that sex wouldn't change anything between us. It's always been something important to me. I waited a month to lose my virginity to Jamie, and see how things ended up between us. But with you... I'm not afraid anymore. I just wanted you to know, okay? Nothing is going to happen until we both are completely sure we want it."

Blaine had a matching loving smile on his face, and then scooted a little closer to Kurt until he was almost sitting in his lap. He leaned in and pressed their foreheads together lightly.

"I know you're not trying to pressure me, baby, I know." Blaine said as he closed his eyes, "trust me, you wouldn't need to put too much pressure on me, anyway. I'm yours, Kurt, I've always been. But I want a few more dates, so that I can get some really good memories of you and me."

Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist and gave a slight tug until Blaine was actually sitting on his lap. Blaine automatically wrapped his legs around Kurt's waist, and Kurt smiled. It wasn't sexual, just intimate.

"I'm yours too." He rested their foreheads together again. "We can have all the dates you want before something else happens. I can't wait to enjoy them all by your side."

Blaine nuzzled his nose against Kurt's, just enjoying this little moment of being with him. This close, this warm, this intense. It was nothing he had ever felt before, and he never thought he would even feel it.

Nothing in the whole world could compare to how much love he had for this man in front of him, and nothing and nobody would ever come between them. 

He simply loved Kurt.

******

When Kurt woke up on Monday, he knew it was probably going to be the best Monday of his life so far, and the reason was simple. It was the first Monday he woke up knowing that Blaine was his boyfriend, and that was a great way to start the week. 

The wonderful aftermath of the weekend was still there. His sheets still smelled like Blaine; if he closed his eyes, he could still hear Blaine's voice as he sang to him, and his skin kept remembering every kiss and hug. Also, they had talked, and they had decided that Blaine would meet his parents and that the sex would come, they weren't going to hold back but they weren't going to force it to happen either, because they just wanted to enjoy their relationship.

Oh, and he loved Blaine, even if he hadn't told him yet. 

That love and his need to make him happy had led Kurt to spend Sunday afternoon after Blaine left with his eyes on his laptop. He was so clear that he wanted to surprise his boyfriend and how he planned to do it. 

Kurt had even written a note in his own hand that he was going to leave on Blaine's desk today. He was so excited that he did his best again under the shower, singing as if he were at the Madison Square Garden. 

He wasn't very hungry and wanted to get to work as soon as possible so he could reach the 3rd floor before Blaine got there, so he made himself a coffee to go and left his apartment quickly. 

He was closing the door when he received a message, and he smiled even before reading it.

From: Blaine

\- Good morning, my darling. Yet another week at work begins, and even though I only want to spend all my days with you, at least I still get to see you at work ;) Have a good morning, baby, I'll see you at the office soon xx -

\- Good morning, honey. I wish it was Sunday again and we were still asleep in my bed, but there will be plenty of time for that. Don't wait for me in the hall when you arrive, I have something to do and I'll be there very soon, but see you later xx -

Kurt sent the message and smiled. His plan was in motion. 

When he got to the building, Kurt went straight to the elevators and up to the 3rd floor. Once there, he located Blaine's desk, or at least the one he thought it was his the only time he'd seen him there, and left an envelope addressed to 'Mr. Anderson' hidden between a couple of folders on the table. 

Satisfied with his work, he started walking towards the elevators again when someone called his name. He turned slowly and saw Jonathan, who was looking at him curiously. 

"Jonathan, hey. Good morning." He greeted with a polite smile.

"Good morning, Kurt," Jonathan smiled back at him, "can I ask why you are in our offices? Blaine's not here yet."

"Uhm... no, I know, I just..." Kurt stuttered, trying to find an excuse. "I had to tell him something, but I've just seen that he's not here, so I'll talk to him later. I'll go back to my floor now."

"Hey, don't rush off. Can I talk to you for a second?" Jonathan asked and glanced down at his watch, "I mean, we have 10 minutes till start time."

"Yeah, sure." Kurt answered, a little worried about what that man might want to say to him. "Is there any problem with the editors?"

"No, no, it's something a little more personal." He said with a smile, "come to the office, it will be better to talk there."

Jonathan began walking back to his office, and held the door open for Kurt, who had been following him slowly.

When Jonathan closed the door behind him, Kurt looked at him curiously. 

"Well... what's up?" He didn't want to sound rude, but he didn't understand what this was about.

"It's okay, don't get defensive. Please, take a seat." Jonathan offered kindly, before pulling out his own chair and sitting.

"Okay." Kurt sat in front of Jonathan and looked at him, waiting for him to speak.

"Let me just get straight to the point." Jonathan started, "I know you and Blaine are together."

Kurt's eyes widened when he heard that, and he opened his mouth to... deny it? But something inside him didn't let him do it. Relationships between co-workers weren't forbidden there, and he knew Blaine wouldn't want him to lie about it. 

"Okay, and?" He said in a not too friendly tone. "It doesn't affect his work or mine, so I think it's nobody's business."

Jonathan gave him a wide smile.

"I told you there's no need to be defensive. I know you guys both work hard, that isn't what this is about." He said, and then reached out to touch Kurt's arm, "I thought Blaine would be the first one I saw this morning so I was saving this conversation for him, but by chance now, it's you."

Kurt relaxed a bit as Jonathan didn't seem to judge him or be about to give him a speech about it. 

"I'm sorry." He honestly said. "I didn't mean to be bad-mannered; it's just that I still don't understand where this conversation is going."

"Well, I just wanted to say that from experience, workplace romances can be quite hard to keep secret." Jonathan said with a little laugh, "I have one myself."

"You what?" Kurt asked without trying to hide his surprise.

"My soulmate works here. She's older than me, and we've kept it away from the gossip chain for 17 years now." He laughed at Kurt's shocked face, "so I understand what it's like."

Kurt had a lot of questions in his head, but suddenly he started to connect the dots. She was older than him, so she had to be someone who had been in the company all those years... 

Oh god. He was about to shout 'Julia is your soulmate!', but if Jonathan had not said her name, he would respect that. Instead, he remembered something that made him laugh. 

"So you weren't hitting on Blaine?" He asked, realizing how ridiculous it sounded now.

"Hitting on him?" Jonathan laughed loudly, "what made you think that? I'm at least 15 years older than you both."

"And? I'm sure a lot of older men find him attractive." Kurt said, as if he needed to defend his boyfriend. "I'm not calling you older." He was quick to add. "I don't know, you were always with him, laughing with him and touching him, I thought that..." He didn't know how to end the sentence.

"That I liked him? No, at least not like that." Jonathan said, shaking his head, "he's a nice guy, and sweet. He's a hard worker and he's funny to talk to, but I'm not gay, so he's not my type." He laughed again.

Kurt covered his face, totally embarrassed. 

"I'm sorry, Jonathan, I really am."

"It's okay, Kurt." He said as he touched Kurt's arm again, "I'm not offended. If you thought I was a threat, then maybe I haven't lost my looks." He winked.

"I may have hated you for days, it's a relief to be able to change that." Kurt looked at him, smiling sincerely at that man for the first time. "May I ask how did you know? Are we so obvious?"

"You, not so much." Jonathan told him, "but Blaine… he's see through."

"We're trying to keep a low profile, we don't want the whole company to gossip about us, you know? How have you guys been doing it for so long?"

"Well, we just act as professional as we can, and we've really only told a small group of friends who used to work here, but they don't anymore." Jonathan explained, "it got very hard sometimes, and it put a lot of stress on us in the workplace. But in the end, we got through it."

"I know we'll make it work. I'm the one who has the most trouble with this, but Blaine is so understanding and I think we've finally reached a good point." Kurt looked at Jonathan. "I can trust you not to tell anyone, right?"

"Yes, of course, the secret's safe with me." Jonathan said as he looked at his watch. It was nearly 8am, "I just wanted to let you guys know that if you have problems with anything at work, you can always come to me. I'll help anyway I can."

"Thank you so much, Jonathan, it means a lot." Kurt smiled at him before cheking the time in his phone. "I should go back to my office now. Thanks again for the chat."

Jonathan stood up with him and walked him to the door.

"No problem, my door is always open." He said as he walked out with Kurt, "anytime, I mean it."

"It's good to know. And sorry for thinking you were after my boyfriend." Kurt laughed again before waving goodbye to him. 

He crossed the room as fast as he could to avoid Blaine seeing him in case he already was at his desk, and took the elevator back to the 2nd floor, thinking about what Jonathan had just told him.

He and Julia... Kurt hadn't seen this coming. But they were certainly an inspiration. If they had been able to hide it for 17 years, he and Blaine could do it too.

******

Blaine had been confused at Kurt's text telling him he wouldn't see him this morning, but it hadn't mattered to him. They were boyfriends, soulmates, and they would see each other at lunch. So still with a smile on his face from the weekend, he walked into work. 

He shot everyone that he came across a sunny smile and a 'good morning', garnering some confused looks in return, but it didn't affect his mood. He was still smiling when he stepped out of the elevator onto his floor and walked to the offices.

Sitting down at his desk, Jonathan gave him a smile before looking back to his computer screen, and Blaine set about signing into his account and starting some work tasks. As he was going through some papers on his desk, he came across an envelope that was addressed to him. He picked it up with slight confusion and opened it. 

It was from Kurt. Blaine's smile went wide again as he read what it said.

\- Good morning, sweetheart. I know we agreed not going to see each other after work, just wait and have proper dates... but nobody said we couldn't have a date after work, right? Don't make plans for tomorrow evening ;) xx Kurt -

Blaine had to hold back a squeal with delight, and he looked around at all of his co-workers, making sure nobody was watching him as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and wrote out a text for Kurt.

\- Just got your note :) I'm very excited for tomorrow x -

Kurt's answer came in just a few seconds.

\- So now you understand why I couldn't see you before... it was part of my super secret plan to leave the note on your desk without you seeing me lol I'm excited too, I hope you like what I've planned x -

Blaine smiled softly at Kurt's text. Kurt had called Blaine 'the best boyfriend ever', but indeed, Blaine felt it was the other way around.

So he texted it.

\- You really are the best boyfriend... ever! -

\- You only say that because I'm the only one you've had ;P The truth is that I just want to make you happy. See you at lunch x -

\- First and last, baby ;) see you later x -

******

Work went quite fast, and before Blaine knew it, it was already lunch time. Jonathan pat his back as he walked past to the door, and Blaine shut the system down before grabbing his lunch and heading for the dining room. 

He was smiling as he got there, and even though some of his co-workers were asking him to sit with them, he politely declined and said he needed to talk to Kurt about something. 

He spied Kurt sitting alone across the room and walked over to him, trying to keep his excitement inside. 

"Hey." He said as he sat opposite Kurt at the table.

"Hey." Kurt said with a big smile. "I'm not complaining at all, but we've already talked about this. You can have lunch with your friends if you want to."

"I would rather have lunch with you." Blaine said softly, "so...tomorrow? Do I get to know or…?"

"Oh, so that's what you want, isn't it?" Kurt laughed. "You come here with your pretty face to get information out of me, but it won't happen. I'm not going to tell you anything. You'll receive instructions in due course." He smiled proudly.

Blaine chuckled.

"So I can't use my face to get you to tell me?" Blaine asked with a smirk, "I thought you liked my pretty face."

"I do like your pretty face. And I can't wait to look at it tomorrow when we go to a certain place." Kurt smiled shyly. "Don't expect anything spectacular, though; I don't want you to be disappointed." 

Blaine tilted his head and stared at Kurt affectionately.

"If I'm on a date with you, it's all going to be spectacular." He told him with a smile.

"Okay." Kurt blushed a little and had to restrain himself from reaching out and taking Blaine's hand. "By the way, when I went to leave you the note, I ran into Jonathan and we had a very interesting chat."

"Oh?" Blaine sent him a confused look as he took a bite of his sandwich.

"You were right, he knows about us." Kurt said, but then he gave Blaine a reassuring smile. "But he supports us and has promised not to tell anyone. And this doesn't happen very often, but I was wrong. He wasn't trying to hit on you."

"You thought he was trying to hit on me?" Blaine laughed, "Kurt, the guy is like 40."

"Why do you find it funny too? A 40-year-old man is not allowed to want a younger guy or what? Besides, that wouldn't be the problem. The problem would be that the younger guy is already taken." Kurt stated.

"I'm taken, and proud to be taken." Blaine told him with a smile, still chuckling a little, "but the guy is straight, I already knew that. If I had known you had doubts about him, I could have told you."

"He's always looking at you, what did you want me to think? I'm sorry I was jealous." Kurt said, taking a sip from his soda. "But the important thing is that it doesn't matter anymore, because it's all cleared up. He's a good guy, I like him."

"He's a good guy. I never thought I would make another good friend in the city, but he has become one, and he's a great boss too." Blaine explained as he looked over to the other table, where all of his co-workers were sitting and talking, "I mean, I like them all. So he told you that he knew? I can't imagine that you took that news well."

"I'm really glad you're friends, but I'm not surprised. It's hard not wanting to be around you." Kurt winked at him. "And when he told me he knew, I got a little defensive, yeah, but I didn't deny it. I didn't want to."

"I'm glad you didn't. So what did you guys actually talk about? Why was he interested?" Blaine asked curiously.

Kurt hesitated for a moment. Should he tell Blaine about Julia? Well, Jonathan had told him that he planned to have that same conversation with Blaine before seeing him, so Kurt thought it would be fair to share his boss' story with him, without adding the conclusion he had come to. It seemed fair, and he didn't want to hide anything from Blaine. 

"He's in the same situation as us. His soulmate works here too." He whispered, even though they were far enough apart from the rest for someone to hear them.

"What?" Blaine whispered back, shocked eyes wide and astonished, "no way."

"Yeah. I'm sure I made that exact same face. She's older than him, and they've been hiding it for 17 years." Kurt said, before picking what was left of his salad and stuffing it into his mouth.

"Gosh, I-" Blaine paused and then thought about it, and Kurt could see the very moment where Blaine came to the same conclusion of who it must be, "no."

"I think so. I'm not sure, but... it would make sense." Kurt shrugged.

"Older than him," Blaine counted on his fingers, "and they probably had to keep the secret because of their positions at work...jeez. I would never have guessed it."

He sighed as he sat back.

"17 years?"

"Yeah. And I almost ruined our friendship in your first week here." Kurt shook his head. "I guess we have a lot to learn from them."

"Well...we have a lot to learn anyway. It's all new, and I don't want you to feel bad about that anymore. As long as we communicate honestly like we have been, we'll be fine." Blaine said, and he was itching to reach across and take Kurt's hand, but he wouldn't, not there.

"I know. I like the way we're doing things now, but I think I'll always feel bad about it." Kurt admitted.

"Blaine!" A voice called behind them and they both turned, seeing Jonathan waiting for him by the door as everyone was leaving, "come on, work doesn't wait for any man!" 

He gave them a grin and then walked out, and Blaine then realized that he and Kurt were the very last ones in the dining room. 

"Shoot, it looks like I gotta go." He said as he gave Kurt an apologetic smile and then stood up.

"It's okay, I have to go back too." Kurt got up and went to throw the empty can in the trash. "Go with them, we'll talk later."

Blaine took a quick look around at the walls and the door before turning to Kurt.

"There's no cameras in here, right?"

"Why would there be cameras in the dining room?" Kurt asked, raising an eyebrow.

Blaine just shrugged and grinned before leaning into Kurt, planting a quick kiss against his lips before turning to the door.

"I'll talk to you later." He called as he walked out of the door.

Kurt grinned like a fool and after heaving a sigh, he headed back to his office.

******

On Tuesday, Kurt entered the building trotting with excitement. Blaine had texted him while he was having breakfast to say that he would wait for him in the hall to say 'good morning', and Kurt had a second envelope for him, although he didn't mind giving this one to him in person. 

Inside, there was a note with an address and a time. It was the only information he intended to give Blaine about their date. He was really enjoying this game and hoped Blaine liked what he had prepared. 

It didn't take long for Kurt to find him; he was in front of the elevators, looking at his phone. Kurt walked there, and Blaine smiled broadly at him when he saw him. 

"I have a delivery for Mr. Anderson. Do you know who he is?" Kurt asked, feigning innocence as he held the envelope between his fingers.

Blaine raised an eyebrow and gave Kurt an amused smile. 

"Oh, he's on the 3rd floor, I'm actually going there now. Do you want me to take it to him?" He asked playfully.

"You'd do me a big favor, thank you." Kurt handed him the envelope. "Tell him it contains very valuable information about a date he has this evening."

"I'll definitely give him the message." Blaine smiled as the elevator dinged and the doors opened, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"That's because I didn't tell you." Kurt got into the elevator with a smirk on his face. "It's for your own sake. The less you know about me, the better."

"Oh, really?" Blaine laughed a little, trying to keep a straight face as he played this game, "how would this Blaine guy know to trust the message if he doesn't know who it's from?"

"Oh, it's okay. He knows it's from me and that I'm trustworthy." 

Since there were only three more people in the elevator besides them, as soon as the doors closed, he moved next to Blaine. 

"My parents taught me not to trust strangers, but I still hope you deliver my message." Kurt whispered.

"I will. I'm sure his entire face will light up like a Christmas tree." Blaine smirked as he whispered back.

"I don't usually do these things with men I don't even know their names, but I would kiss you right now if I could." Kurt bit his lip when he finished the sentence, and the elevator doors opened as they reached the 2nd floor. 

"Have a nice day everyone." He said in a singsong voice before getting off the elevator, his eyes landing on Blaine for a second before walking off.

Blaine shook his head and winked a little at Kurt as the doors closed. He couldn't keep the smile off of his face as he played with the envelope in his hand. Another message. 

Kurt kept on surprising him so much, and it created a warm dizzying feeling inside of him. As the elevator reached his floor, he saluted everyone in there with a flourish, receiving some giggles from the ladies in there, and strolled happily towards his desk. 

When he got there, he gave Jonathan a grin as he sat down in his chair.

"You look happy." His boss said, and Blaine didn't reply anything, only gave him a grin as he pulled the little letter out of the envelope. 

There was only an address and a time on the paper, and Blaine stared at it a little confused first before a big smile crossed his lips as he placed the note in his pocket.

"Something exciting?" Jonathan said from his side, and Blaine tapped his nose at him. 

"Don't be nosy."

His boss laughed as he turned back to his own computer, and Blaine shook his head with an amused grin before starting his work. 

The note in his pocket, and the words on it, were making him nearly vibrate with excitement. He couldn't wait for later.


	21. Chapter 21

Kurt was nervous, much more nervous than he had been on Saturday, and he didn't know why. He was meeting the same guy, his boyfriend, his soulmate. But this wasn't 'a dinner and movie' date, there's little chance of error there. Kurt wanted something different this time. 

His idea was to do something special for Blaine, to make him realize that he actually listened to him and that everything he told him was important to him. Kurt valued his past, his present and his future... a future he hoped to share with him. 

He knew there were things from their past that Blaine hadn't told him yet, but Kurt was confident they would get to that point; they had only been together for a week, after all. But there was one thing Kurt did know, and that's what he had focused on. 

Kurt parked his car near the address he had given Blaine at 7:10pm. They were supposed to meet at 7:15pm, so he was on time. He took a deep breath and got out of the car. 

He walked down the street and took a quick look at his outfit. He didn't know if Blaine would remember, but he was wearing the same clothes he had worn on Finn's birthday. He didn't know why he had done it, but it had seemed fun when he had thought about it. Now it only increased the nerves in his stomach. 

As he turned the corner, he saw Blaine among the group of people who were standing at that very spot. Kurt ran a hand through his hair and went to meet him. 'Please, let him like this. Please, don't let me screw this up', he kept repeating in his head like a mantra.

Kurt really wanted to make Blaine happy. He had never wanted anything that much.

******

Blaine was jumpy too, but also overwhelmingly excited as he drove to the place that Kurt had instructed in his note at work this morning. He had tried asking Kurt at lunch again to tell him anything to prepare himself, but all Kurt had told him was to dress smart casual, as if that was a clue, and to be there at 7:15pm. 

So dressed in the black shirt he wore to Finn's party a few weeks back, and with 5 minutes to go, he pulled up near to the place where it pointed to on his phone screen, and then shut down the navigation system and got out. There were a few people milling around outside, but Blaine was busy looking for Kurt. 

This was the place, and the time was now 7:10. Where was Kurt? 

He didn't know how long he waited until a pair of hands covered his eyes from behind. It did jolt him a little because he was't expecting it, but then Kurt's scent surrounded him and he relaxed with a laugh.

"Who am I?" Kurt asked with a giggle near Blaine's ear.

"Well, I mean, I would have said it was my boyfriend, but I'll have to go with my stalker."

Kurt took his hands away from Blaine's eyes and stood in front of him, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Your stalker? Really?" He pouted at him.

"Oh, aren't you the gorgeous delivery guy that gave me that lovely message from my boyfriend this morning?" Blaine carried on teasing, "don't tell him, but I really, really like you."

He grinned at Kurt and took one of his hands, forcing him to unlock his crossed arms.

"Are you flirting with me, Mr. Anderson? I've been told that your boyfriend is a very jealous guy." Kurt brought his free hand to Blaine's waist, to draw him closer.

"Jealous, huh? I've heard that myself somewhere." Blaine smirked teasingly as he leaned closer, "but what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

He closed the gap and captured Kurt's lips in a kiss that conveyed how wonderful all of his feelings were tonight.

Kurt smiled against Blaine's lips before responding eagerly to the kiss, placing his hands on the small of Blaine's back. 

A few seconds later though, he had to pull away. 

"I would stay here all night, but we have plans." He took Blaine's hand and led him to an elevator at street level. "Do you know where we are?" He asked then, before noticing Blaine's clothes. "Wait... I know that shirt."

"Oh, this." Blaine said with a smile as he plucked at it, "I was wearing it the night of Finn's birthday. Come to think of it, isn't that outfit from that night too? I specifically remember how tight those jeans were." 

He gave him a look over, appreciating the view before clasping Kurt's hand again and looking around.

"And you know I've only lived in New York for a few months, so no, I don't know where we are."

"Yeah, I was wearing these clothes on Finn's birthday too... I had to sew a couple of buttons on the shirt because someone was a bit of an animal." Kurt laughed. "I know you've been here for a short time, but I thought maybe you had looked up the address online sneakily."

"No. If you wanted me to be surprised, I had to come to this date unprepared." Blaine gave him a grin, and a wink.

"Good." Kurt rewarded him with a quick kiss on the lips. 

When the elevator stopped in front of them, he looked at Blaine. 

"Can I ask you one more thing?"

"Sure."

"Could you close your eyes until we get to the top? I'll hold your hand the entire time." He looked at Blaine with a pleading face.

Blaine gave him an amused look before closing his eyes, letting Kurt take control over where they were going. 

He usually hated having somebody else take control; he didn't give up trust easily, but with Kurt it was so simple. He trusted him completely.

"Just don't let me bang against a wall."

"I would never let that happen." Kurt took his hand, squeezing it lightly to convey reassurance to Blaine. "Walk a little, honey, let's get into the elevator. Just a few steps."

Blaine did as he was told, although his legs walked much slower than he usually did. His grasp on Kurt's hand tightened a little, but then he relaxed.

"Are you going to have me do this for every date?" Blaine asked as he laughed, and he still kept his eyes closed.

"Of course. You have no idea how adorable you look right now." Kurt pecked his cheek. "We're going up; we'll get there right away." 

When the elevator doors opened, Kurt tugged lightly on Blaine's hand. 

"Here we are. You just have to get out of the elevator, walk a straight line for a bit and I'll let you open your eyes."

"Okay." Blaine said a little nervously, but he did as he was told, walking straight until Kurt pulled them to a stop.

"Okay, baby." Kurt moved to his side, almost shaking with nerves. "I know that when you were a kid, you wanted to be an astronaut. I can't take you to the stars, but at least I can get you a little closer to them. Open your eyes."

"What?" Blaine whispered as he open his eyes slowly. And then he gasped at the most amazing sight.

It was a wide open area, with gardens and plants everywhere, and the buildings and lights surrounding everything were just beautiful. He watched as other excited couples were pointing out things, and then he spied the massive telescopes that were along the side of the walk way.

"Oh my god."

"We're at the High Line." Kurt explained. "The sky is clear tonight, so we should be able to see everything with the telescopes."

He looked at his boyfriend, waiting for some reaction, but Blaine was just staring straight ahead with his mouth open. 

"Blaine? Do you like it?"

As Blaine turned to Kurt, his eyes were shining, twinkling with excitement and affection, and the wide smile on his face showed all of his teeth.

"Baby, I love it." He said softly, the smile not faltering at all, "I never knew there was a place like this here."

He looked around again in wonder before shaking his head and staring back at Kurt.

"Thank you, Kurt."

Kurt sighed in relief. The look on Blaine's face showed so much happiness that it was impossible not to believe him. He wasn't just pretending to like it to please Kurt.

"You're very welcome." He smiled. "I didn't know about this place either, but I did a little research and I knew I wanted to bring you here."

Blaine grabbed hold of Kurt's arm and dragged him gently over to the closest free telescope, nearly bouncing with joy as they stood in front of it. 

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe this place." He told Kurt with a smile before pointing to the telescope, "do you want to look first, sweetheart?"

"But I've never used one of these things. I don't know what I should look at." Kurt told him shyly.

"I'll show you." Blaine leaned forward and looked through it, pausing and fiddling with the knobs on the side for a moment and then moving the telescope slightly, smiling widely when he found some giant stars in the distance, "here, take a look."

He pulled back and then gestured for Kurt to look.

Kurt leaned in and closed one eye to look through it. Then he gave a little shout out. 

"Oh my god, I see them! They shine a lot, Blaine, they're beautiful." He exclaimed excitedly.

Blaine leaned against Kurt's back with a smile, putting his head on Kurt's shoulder. 

"You're a star, you know?" He whispered into Kurt's neck, "my very own personal shining star."

Kurt pulled away from the telescope and turned to look at Blaine as something melted inside him. 

"Look who's talking. Your eyes shine brighter than the biggest of the stars." He brought his face close to Blaine's and nuzzled his cheek gently.

Blaine's smile softened before he pushed past Kurt a little and looked back through the telescope, but he didn't let go of Kurt, forcing his boyfriend to cuddle up against him as he looked at the stars.

Then Kurt watched for a little while as Blaine twisted things on the side of the scope and turned it left and right, obviously searching for something.

After 5 minutes, he shot back from it, and turned to give Kurt a grin.

"You know, these telescopes are probably a little more powerful than they look." He said with a grin, "you can see planets in this."

He moved aside so that Kurt could look.

"Really?" Kurt leaned over to look again and he gasped. "Is that what I think it is?"

"That's Mars." Blaine chuckled, "do you see it shining a little redder than the others?"

"Yeah, I do. I'm seeing Mars, baby!" Kurt tugged on Blaine's sleeve over and over, like a little boy.

"Yeah, you are. Part of the great big universe is out there, and we're seeing it together." Blaine said as he gripped Kurt's hand and brought it up to place a kiss on the back of Kurt's fingers.

"It's awesome. Now I understand why you love it." Kurt stepped aside for Blaine to look again, and as soon as he did, he wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist and attacked himself to his back. "I'm so happy to be here with you."

"And I'm so happy that you brought me here, this place is amazing." Blaine said, without looking away from the telescope, and put one hand down to Kurt's arms, stroking along the skin softly.

Kurt planted a kiss between Blaine's shoulder blades before pulling back a bit. He stayed by his boyfriend's side and took out his phone. The city lights were reflected in Blaine's face as he looked through the telescope, and Kurt couldn't resist taking a couple of pictures of him. He would like to remember that night and that smile forever.

Blaine turned and gave him a softer smile as he watched Kurt taking pictures, and then stuck his tongue out for another one before laughing.

He stood up and pulled Kurt towards him by the waist, and then made Kurt hold the phone up to take a picture of both of them.

For the next one, Kurt turned his face to stare at Blaine, who was still looking at the phone screen. All Kurt wanted to do right now was say those three words to him, but he didn't want to scare Blaine if he wasn't ready. So he hoped the way he was looking at him spoke for itself.

Blaine turned just as the flash went off and planted a kiss against Kurt's lips. And as the camera on his phone kept flashing, it caught every moment of their soft looks to one another, and every smile thrown at each other. It even captured the blushes.

"Your phone is going to be full of pictures of us if you don't turn off the camera." Blaine whispered at him, because it seemed that Kurt was frozen in place staring at him.

Kurt shook his head slightly when he heard Blaine's voice and put his phone down. As he checked the pictures, a smile appeared on his face.

"Great, I guess my plan went the way I wanted. What kind of stalker would I be if I didn't have enough material to wallpaper a room with your face?"

"Are you really going to wallpaper a room with my face?" Blaine said teasingly, and pointed to his smiling face, "this one, right here?"

"That one, yes." Kurt kissed him softly, barely a brush of their lips. "So I can look at you all day." Another kiss. "And it will be as if you're always with me."

Kurt kissed him again, but this time his mouth revelled in the contact. He nipped at Blaine's lower lip and let it slip gently between his teeth when he pulled away.

Blaine felt a shiver go down his spine. He felt like devouring this man in front of him, but they were surrounded by people, so it would have to wait. 

"Mmhmm…" He groaned in his throat as Kurt smirked at him, "you can't kiss me like that in public, because now I need to make out with you and we can't."

"Sorry, I couldn't contain myself." Kurt kissed the tip of Blaine's nose. "Do you want us to take a walk around here? Then we can go back and look through the telescopes a little more before we leave."

"It's okay." Blaine laughed and then threaded his arm through one of Kurt's, "yeah, let's walk around. This place is awesome."

Kurt leaned lightly against Blaine as they walked. They looked like two kids, staring at everything with wide eyes and laughing together. Sometimes they just fell silent, enjoying the evening and the company.

Half an hour later, they returned to the telescope area, and this time Kurt told Blaine that he preferred to let him enjoy it. Blaine didn't complain, and spent a good time moving the telescope, pointing here and there and excitedly telling Kurt everything he found.

Kurt could only stare at him with a huge smile. As much as he had liked looking up at the sky, seeing Blaine's face that happy was so much better.

******

"Hello?"

"Dylan, you won't believe what happened last night." Blaine almost screeched into the phone, and then calmed himself down a little as he sat on his couch with a big sigh, "is Nate with you?"

"Yeah, he's here."

"Put me on loud speaker, please."

"Okay, hold on." There was a click, and then Blaine could hear Dylan calling for Nate to come to the phone, "alright, you got both of us."

"Hey, Blaine, what's up, love?" Nate asked curiously.

Blaine grinned.

Last night, when he had come home after his date with Kurt, he had thought about calling everyone he knew and telling them everything about it, but he had decided it best to keep the memories to himself for that night. It had been amazing and he had loved every single part of it.

Kurt had kissed him goodnight when they got back to Blaine's car, and it was a very intense and yearning kiss. It had made Blaine want to dive right into it and never let go. But he had to; they had to work the next day, so they couldn't be out too late.

When Blaine had walked through his door, he had been giddy and had giggled and danced around by himself. Then he had received so many texts with pictures attached. Kurt had sent him copies of all the selfies from their date.

Blaine had smiled widely as he looked through them, noticing the soft looks they had been giving each other, their eyes not holding any emotions back. They both looked so open, and happy, and free together.

The morning at work was very busy. Kurt had sent him a text at lunch time apologizing because he was so busy that he had to work through his lunch break, which was true, because Blaine himself had so much work to do too.

After their date last night though, he was confident enough that they would be fine not seeing each other for one day, even though he missed Kurt's presence terribly. To his surprise, he actually saw Kurt at the end of the day; his boyfriend was waiting for him outside the front doors of the building.

They still had to be careful outside of work when other staff members were around, but Blaine decided to walk Kurt to his car and ravish him a little with passionate kisses before he said 'goodbye' and went back to his car. They both promised they would see each other the next day.

And Blaine couldn't already wait to see Kurt.

"Well, Kurt took me on a date last night, and it was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced in my entire life. Seriously, guys, you wouldn't believe the things they have here in the city." He told his friends, and both of them chuckled.

"Where did you go?" Dylan asked with excitement.

"It was the High Line, and it had telescopes, so we were really looking at stars and planets together. You know that my childhood-"

"Dream was to be an astronaut, we know. So you told Kurt about that?" Nate interrupted.

"Yeah!" Blaine exclaimed with a smile, "And… oh my god, the night was so clear, you could see everything in the sky. It was perfect. Kurt is perfect."

"I get it. So the relationship is going well now?" Nate asked again, and Blaine sighed dreamily.

"Oh, yes. Communication is the key to keep us happy. And we are, we're both so happy. Sometimes I think I might wake up and it would all have been a wonderful dream, but seeing him everyday, and getting to call him my boyfriend… it's amazing."

"That's great, baby. We're happy for you and Kurt." Dylan said with a soft tone, and Blaine knew he was close to getting emotional.

"So next time we come to visit, you guys will be all over each other." Nate laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

"Probably. I mean, we haven't had sex yet, but I think it might be getting close. We talked about wanting each other, but I already told Kurt that I like this dating thing, and taking it slow."

"Yeah, it's your very first time."

"Exactly. I just want to enjoy every moment." Blaine replied to Nate, laughing at his friend's analogy.

"And things in the work place?" Nate asked curiously.

"Well, we're still keeping our mouths closed about us at work, but there is a co-worker of mine that found out, and he actually told us he himself has a soulmate at work, and they have kept it away from the spotlight. It puts more confidence in me that we can make this work."

"That's amazing."

"And there was something else I wanted to tell you, guys." Blaine said, and then paused a little, "I know you know that I like Kurt, and care about him so much...but I wanted to tell you that I'm actually in love with him, and I think I'm going to tell him soon."

"Oh, baby, that's awesome." Dylan cried happily, and it sounded like Nate took the phone away from him, as there was a rustling noise and then the loud speaker shut off.

"Well, congrats, Bee." Nate's voice was closer now, and Blaine smiled.

"Thanks." Blaine replied as he heard another scuffling sound and a victory shout from Dylan, and he knew that he had taken his phone back off of Nate, "how's things with you, guys?"

"We're good, everything is good here." Dylan responded almost too quickly, and Blaine was about to ask when he heard Nate shout from the background.

"If you consider almost setting the kitchen on fire a good thing!"

"What? You did what?" Blaine asked with a laugh, and Dylan made a grumpy noise.

"Well, it wasn't my fault, okay? I had the pan going for dinner, and someone came home from work and distracted me...what was I supposed to do?" Dylan explained, and Blaine raised an eyebrow.

"Are you telling me you guys had sex while you left the grill on?"

"Well..."

"How irresponsible, Dylan. I'm ashamed of you." Blaine teased his friend.

"Oh, shut up."

He burst out with laughter, and heard more laughs from the both of them in his ear. It was nice having these silly moments with the guys, it made him feel safe. Exactly like the way Kurt made him feel.

"I actually wanted to ask you something." Blaine said as he calmed his chuckling.

"Yeah?" Came Nate's voice as the loud speaker was turned back on.

"Since Kurt did something amazing for our date, I was thinking I need to up my game. What do you think I should do?" Blaine asked them as he bit his lip, and heard both of them hum together.

"Well, baby, we don't really know a lot about Kurt, or about New York." Nate said, and then Dylan asked straight after, "is there anything that Kurt is into?"

"Erm...fashion, family...food." Blaine listed off things that he knew that weren't private, "Disney movies."

"Oh!" Dylan cried out with excitement, "you should take him to one of those sing-along cinema experiences. He would probably like that."

"Do they actually do those here?" Blaine raised an eyebrow. It sounded like a great thing to do, but he didn't really know the city that well.

"Look it up, baby. We went to one here once, The Wizard of Oz, and it was amazing."

"Yeah, it actually was." Nate agreed with his boyfriend.

"Okay, I'll look into it. Thanks, guys."

"Whatever you decided to do for Kurt, I'm sure he will appreciate it." Dylan told him in a comforting way, and Blaine grinned to himself.

"Yeah, I mean, you've told us you're in love with him, and I bet Kurt feels the same way." Nate joined in.

"Maybe." 

Blaine didn't want to think about Kurt returning those feelings yet. It would make the situation so much bigger in his head, and he didn't want to put pressure on their relationship. When he said those three words to Kurt, it wouldn't be because he wanted Kurt to say it back.

He just wanted to be able to say it.

"Oh, he will, for sure." Dylan said again, and Blaine shook his head.

"Well, I gotta go do my research. I'll speak to you guys soon, okay? Love you both." Blaine said, and then heard lots of kisses being pressed to the phone speaker.

"We love you too."

"Bye, guys."

Blaine felt a little better after talking to the guys. He was hoping he could take Kurt out this weekend for a spectacular date, just like the one he had last night. It would have to match the feeling of wonderment for Kurt, and it had to be fun.

So he did open Google on his phone and look up sing-along experiences in New York, but before he could go through the results of his search, his phone pinged in his hand, and he could see the notification of a new message from Kurt.

From: Kurt

\- Hey, baby. I just got off the phone with Finn and he's not very happy. He scolded me because he hasn't heard from me since I texted him last week to tell him we were together, and he insists that we come over for dinner with him and Brooke on Friday. Are you okay with that? x -

Blaine rolled his eyes fondly as he thought of the crap he would get from his sister, just like Kurt would get it from Finn on Friday. But he was ready for it. 

\- Of course. I knew they would get to us eventually. Looks like we're both going to be questioned to death on Friday lol But I would never let you go through that alone, sweetheart XD -

\- Thank you! I don't know if I would endure their double questioning if you weren't there :( -

\- You're very welcome ;P I'm sure we could handle it together x -

\- I know. I think I'm going to fix myself something to eat and sit on the couch curled up with a pillow since I can't curl up on you. Have a good night, honey, see you tomorrow xx -

\- I can't wait to see you tomorrow x Maybe we should have a night in sometime, and we could curl up together ;) -

\- I'm in ;) x -

Blaine had a smile on his face for the rest of the evening, and it stayed there on his face when he went to sleep that night. His relationship with Kurt was building, and they enjoyed each other's company so much. Blaine was a little nervous about his sister's reaction to it on Friday, but that wasn't even enough to dampen his high right now.

******

The rest of the work week flew by with subtle glances at each other across the lunch room, happy 'good mornings' and sweet kisses in Kurt's office at lunch, and then time spent together after work. They went for coffee and ice-cream on Thursday, casually walking hand in hand down the streets, and they even took a short walk through Central Park before going back home. 

They talked about absolutely everything and anything, but Kurt still didn't get any information out of Blaine about family or what actually happened to him in Virginia. He got the idea, but not the details. 

Kurt felt like he needed to know, but he wouldn't push it. Blaine would tell him when he was ready, Kurt knew he would. So while he dealt with his curiosity silently, he and Blaine had a very sweet, romantic week. 

But on Friday, that's when the nerves sort of set in for Kurt, especially as it came to the end of the work day. He and Blaine had spent lunch time on Friday apart, both of them dealing with their own thoughts and feelings. 

And once the clock ticked over to 4pm, Kurt gathered his things to leave and met up with Blaine in the lobby area downstairs. 

Blaine gave him an empathetic smile as Kurt gave him a nervous one, before they both walked outside together. 

"Do you want to meet me at Brooke and Finn's, or do you want to drive together?" Blaine asked as they walked towards Kurt's parked car first, "I mean, I could pick you up from yours in an hour and a half?" 

"I love the idea of going there together." Kurt replied with a sweet smile before leaning in and kissing Blaine's cheek, "Okay, I'll be ready by 5:30." 

Blaine pecked a small chaste kiss on his lips, and gave him an adoring smile in reply.

"Okay. I'll see you soon, baby." 

Kurt watched Blaine turn and walk away before he got into his car. Time to face the music and his brother. He hoped it wouldn't be awkward tonight. 

At 5:25pm exactly, Kurt was ready. He had on a dark red shirt with dark skinny jeans, and he had done his hair a little differently, a little more relaxed than he did for work. He thought he looked quite good, so he grabbed a dark jacket as he left the apartment. As soon as he got downstairs, he could see Blaine waiting outside in his car. 

He gave him a wave through the window and then climbed in. Blaine leaned over the centre console and gave him a quick kiss. 

"You look beautiful." He complimented, making Kurt blush, "I love the hair." 

"Thank you." Kurt replied before looking over Blaine's outfit too, a dark blue shirt, a jean jacket and black jeans. His eyes roamed up and down appreciatively, "you look very handsome." 

"Thanks." Blaine smiled as he started the car and headed down the street, "I though I might have overdone it a little." 

"No, not at all. Very dashing." 

On their way to Finn and Brooke's place, they laughed together as they chatted about what kind of questions they might have thrown at them today. Kurt thought that Finn might be a little more subtle in his questioning, where as Blaine knew that Brooke was going to ask them about absolutely everything. 

They also decided they wouldn't hug or kiss in front of the kids yet, because they didn't want to confuse their niece and nephew. They would have to let the kids get used to seeing them together more often first, before actually being together like their parents in front of them. 

Once they had established exactly what they were doing and saying at dinner, they pulled up to Finn and Brooke's house more confident that it was going to go as smoothly as possible. 

"This is it." Blaine said as they both got out and headed for the door, "last chance to run and hide." 

Kurt laughed and nudged his boyfriend, before fisting a hand in Blaine's jacket and pulling him in for a kiss, the only one they would get to have for a couple of hours. 

"I don't want to run, I'm proud to be with you." Kurt said as he pulled away, and Blaine sighed lightly. 

"Me too." 

Blaine rang the doorbell, and then they both exchanged a confident smile in unison, before hearing footsteps come to the door.

It was Finn who opened the door. He stared at them, especially at Blaine, and it was a very weird feeling for them, because they had done this many times, even though it was different now. 

"Hi, guys. Come in." Finn said. 

As soon as they walked through the door, Finn gave Kurt a slightly stiff hug and shook Blaine's hand. When he saw their faces, he couldn't help but laugh. 

"Sorry. Why is this so weird?" He asked. 

Kurt laughed too, and looked at Blaine before turning to his brother. 

"I don't know. I guess we'll get over it while we have dinner."

Blaine stared a little uncomfortably at Finn before reaching behind Kurt and rubbing his hand soothingly over the bottom of Kurt's back. 

"The awkwardness will wear off, I guess."

Finn looked at them again, as if trying to make up his mind, and smiled. 

"Brooke is in the kitchen, I'm sure she's coming out to say 'hi' now. The kids are in the living room, so let's go there." 

When they entered the living room, a pair of small voices greeted Kurt and Blaine with enthusiasm. 

"Uncle Blaine! Uncle Kurt!"

A couple of seconds later, Anna was hooked on Blaine's legs and Jack on Kurt's. They immediately bent down to pick up the kids. 

"Hi, Jack. Did you miss me, little munchkin?" Kurt asked with a big smile. 

His nephew's response was to laugh and wrap his little arms around his neck.

"Hey, princess." Blaine smiled and placed lots of kisses on Anna's face, making her laugh. 

"Uncle Blaine, that tickles." Anna laughed as he still smothered her cheeks in kisses, and she reached her little hands up to try and push him away. 

He laughed loudly as her hands held his cheeks away from her. 

"Hey, guys." Brooke finally appeared, her face calm and a little neutral as she smiled at them, "dinner is nearly done, why don't we all come and sit down?"

Kurt felt the nerves cling to his stomach again. He smiled politely at Brooke before leaning in to put a few kisses on his niece's hair. 

"Sure. Whatever you're cooking smells great, Brooke." He said, hugging his nephew more closely, which always gave him some calm.

"Thanks, Kurt." Brooke replied as she led everyone into the kitchen, "it's a chicken casserole, my grandmother's recipe from years ago." 

"Grandma's?" Blaine smiled as he placed Anna down so that she could get to her chair at the table, "that casserole was so amazing." 

"Well, I hope mine is on par with grandma's." Brooke laughed as she went to check on the pot. 

Blaine plucked his nephew out of Kurt's arms to give him a hug before handing him to Finn so that he could put him in his highchair. 

He gave Kurt a comforting smile and a wink as he pulled his chair out for him.

"Thank you." Kurt smiled lovingly at Blaine as he sat down, though he immediately felt a pair of eyes on them and blushed. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Finn, Dad and Carole are coming to visit next weekend. It's cool, right?" He asked, trying to bring up a topic that would relax the atmosphere.

"Yes, it's so cool." Finn smiled. "I still don't know what plans they have, but I really want to see them." 

"Me too." Kurt looked at Blaine, thinking about how excited he was that his parents were meeting his boyfriend.

"Grandpa and Grandma are coming here?" Anna asked loudly, and gave them all a big grin, "I love them." 

Blaine smiled at her excitement. 

"I can't wait to meet them either, princess." He said as he smiled over at Kurt and then at Finn.

"Oh, are you going to introduce Blaine to them?" Finn looked at Kurt curiously. "That's... awesome." 

"Yeah, it was Dad's idea, and Blaine agrees, so…" Kurt shrugged.

"Absolutely." Blaine said as he grinned at Finn, "I'm actually excited to meet Burt and Carole. I only saw them briefly at your wedding years ago, but now I get to introduce myself." 

He took Kurt's hand under the table, lightly stroking the back of it. 

"Dinner's ready." Brooke said as she turned and gave them all a smile, "Finn, could you help me get the pot to the table, please? It's heavy."

"Of course." Finn got up and went to the stove, carefully picking up the pot and setting it on the table. "Watch out, it's very hot." 

Kurt gave Blaine's hand a squeeze before letting it go. 

"I'm starving." He stated. "The sandwich I had for lunch can't be compared to this."

Brooke grinned at him as she served Kurt's plate first and handed it to him. 

"You're going to love this." She said as she looked at Blaine, "if I've done it right." 

Blaine laughed. 

"I'm sure you have, sis." 

She served Blaine next and then Finn before serving the kids their little portions and getting herself some. 

"So how are you feeling now?" Blaine asked her as she sat down. 

"I feel a lot better. I still have a funny stomach sometimes, but I'm okay." She answered as she gave Finn a smile.

"But what did the doctor tell you? I don't know if it's normal to still have a funny stomach after so many days." Kurt asked, looking worriedly at his sister-in-law. 

Finn bit his lower lip to suppress a smile. 

"Don't worry, bro, everything is fine." He assured Kurt.

"Yes, it's fine. The stomach flu I had was very vicious," Brooke said with a small smile, "the doctor actually said it's quite normal to have a little bit of a funny stomach. It could take a few more weeks to get over it." 

Blaine raised an eyebrow but he remained silent, already eating the casserole. God, he hadn't had this food for years, and it was awesome.

Kurt looked at them a bit confused, but he didn't want to insist. 

"Well, I'm glad it's nothing serious." He smiled at them before shoving a bite of chicken into his mouth. "Oh my god... this is delicious." He mumbled with his eyes closed, reveling in the taste.

Brooke looked radiant under the compliment. 

"Thank you very much. It's the first time I've tried to make it." She said, "by the way, I've heard that good things are happening with you two?" 

Blaine's eyes widened as he looked up at her, and then gave her a nervous smile. 

"Actually, they are, yeah. We're doing good. Great, even."

Kurt smiled looking at Brooke. 

"We know we've been a bit missing these days, and we're sorry." He shot an apologetic look at his brother. "But everything is going really well. We're so happy." 

Finn was going to say something, but Anna was quicker. 

"Why are you so happy, Uncle Kurt?" The girl said, her huge eyes on him. "Did you buy something new? I'm always happy when I have new toys." 

Kurt laughed, knowing that Blaine was looking at him amusedly, waiting for his answer. 

"Well... we didn't buy anything new, smart girl, but Uncle Blaine works with me now and we spend more time together."

"Yeah, and it's such an amazing place to work." Blaine added, and Anna smiled. 

"I wanna work there too, so I can spend more time with you." She said, and Blaine laughed. 

"Maybe when you finish college, kiddo."

"How are things at work?" Finn asked when he saw that Anna had focused on her food again. "I know it wasn't easy at first."

Blaine nodded. 

"It wasn't easy, no, but I think we're actually figuring it out now." He turned to give Kurt a smile, "we give each other space when we need it."

"I think the situation got the better of us the first few days, but we've learned that the most important thing is to be honest and always talk about how we feel." Kurt lightly brushed Blaine's arm. 

"That's very mature, bro." Finn said admiringly.

Brooke smiled at them both. 

"I'm proud of you two." She said lightly.

"Thank you for taking it well, guys. We know that this is weird for you and that you both care about us, and that's why we came today. Although we actually expected more uncomfortable questions." Kurt grinned, taking a sip of his water. 

"Oh, if you want uncomfortable questions, I'm sure I can think of something." Finn started, before his wife kicked him under the table, "ouch!"

"Not any inappropriate questions in front of the children, please." She smiled innocently at her husband. 

"What does 'inaproprit' mean, Mommy?" Anna asked, and Brooke turned to her with a smile. 

"Just something that shouldn't be discussed over dinner, baby."

"Or never." Kurt whispered, but Blaine heard him and chuckled.

Then, all of a sudden, Jack put his hands straight into his dinner and flung it across the table, spattering Blaine in the sauce. Brooke was quick to tell him off, but Finn was trying hard not to laugh as Blaine rolled his eyes and chuckled down at the mess on his shirt. 

"Thank you, Jackie boy." He said as Brooke handed him a cloth from the sink, and he started wiping himself down, "at least I'm wearing dark colors."

"Jack's been doing that a lot lately." Brooke told them with exasperation.

"Jack, you just wanted to share your dinner with Uncle Blaine, right?" Kurt said, covering his mouth with the napkin so they wouldn't see him laugh, although it was all it took for Finn to burst out laughing.

Brooke glared at her husband lightly. 

"You're no help in this situation."

"I know, I'm sorry." Finn apologized, though his eyes were still shining with amusement. "Jack, you can't do that, young man." 

"Don't be so hard on him." Kurt complained. "You left a stain there, honey." He added, trying to point to a specific area on Blaine's shirt.

"Where?" Blaine asked as he looked down at his shirt, "there?" 

He wiped at the area he thought, but Kurt shook his head.

"No, let me do it." Kurt took the cloth from his hand, and after pouring some water from his glass in it, he began to gently rub just above Blaine's chest.

Finn and Brooke exchanged a glance at that. 

Blaine blushed a little as Kurt cleaned his shirt, and gave him a smile when it was done.

When Kurt realized everyone was staring at him, he quickly handed the cloth back to Blaine and sat up in his chair. 

"If that type of stain isn't removed as soon as possible, then the shirt is ruined forever. It's a very delicate fabric." Kurt said by way of explanation.

"You can help me later." Blaine said as a kind of throw away comment, but then he just realized what he implied and turned a little red. He filled his mouth with more casserole to avoid speaking anymore.

Brooke held in a giggle at her brother's red face.

Finn seemed really amused by all of this, like he'd waited his whole life for a chance like this to mess with his brother. 

"Anyone would think you can't wait to take Blaine's shirt off, Kurt." He raised an eyebrow with a mischievous grin, but he got a nudge from Brooke. "Babe, that hurt!"

"The kids, Finn." She whispered a little, and Blaine's face was red but Kurt was a little scandalized by his brother, and he glared at him.

"It was a joke." Finn justified himself. "Besides, the kids can't understand it." He said in a soft voice.

"So not the point..." Brooke said with a light glare. 

"Why does Uncle Kurt want Uncle Blaine's shirt?" Anna asked innocently, "do they want to swap?"

Finn wanted to smack himself on the forehead. Once again, his wife was right. 

"You know that I love clothes, right, honey? And your brother accidentally stained Uncle Blaine's shirt, and since it's a really nice shirt, I don't want it to get spoiled, that's all." Although he was answering his niece, Kurt said that looking at Finn, who lowered his head and kept eating in silence.

"Oh, okay." Anna said as she went back to eating her dinner, and Blaine placed his hand against Kurt's thigh under the table. 

"Thank you." He whispered to him.

Kurt winked at him, sighing slightly at the feel of Blaine's hand on his leg.

Blaine smoothed his palm down Kurt's thigh a little before pulling away. The contact was nice, and they both still needed it when they were together, but they were getting better at controlling themselves. He just didn't want to make it any harder.

Dinner flowed nicely after that. Blaine asked Anna questions about school, thoroughly interested in what the little girl had to tell him. Finn talked to Kurt about their parents' visit next weekend, and Brooke was busy trying to get Jack to eat his dinner nicely. 

It really seemed easy to fall into the regular pattern of a family environment, and everyone was laughing and joking around. The awkwardness faded pretty fast.

Once Blaine helped Finn pack everything away and Finn began washing up plates, Brooke turned to Kurt with a smile.

"I can barely move, I think I've eaten too much." Kurt smiled at her too. "But I think I'm going to get up and help Finn with the dishes."

"No, no." Finn said and turned to his brother with a smile, "Blaine can help me with this. You can help Brooke get the kids bathed and ready for bed."

Kurt and Blaine exchanged a look. Wow, it seemed that Finn and Brooke had a plan after all. It was time for the conversations they almost thought they had avoided. Almost. 

However, he wouldn't be the one who refused to speak to Brooke. 

"Of course." Kurt stood up. "Let's see, does anyone here want Mommy and Uncle Kurt to give them a bath?"

"Me!" Both of the kids screamed together, and then cheered as they ran towards the stairs. 

Blaine gave Kurt a smile, as comforting as he could make it, even though now he was nervous to be left with Finn.

Kurt smiled back at Blaine, before walking with Brooke upstairs. Then Finn turned to Blaine. 

"Why don't you take a rag out of the counter drawer and dry the dishes as I clean them? That way we'll go faster." He asked. "Our dishwasher broke a couple of days ago and I'm still getting used to doing this the traditional way."

"Sure." Blaine smiled happily, taking a rag from the drawer and standing next to Finn.

Finn was silent for a couple of minutes as he passed the clean plates to Blaine, until he took a deep breath and looked at him. 

"Look, I know you think I'm going to give you the typical 'overprotective older brother talk', but I'm not. Kurt may be younger, but he's much smarter than me and I trust his judgment a lot. Plus, you're his soulmate, you were meant to be together. And I want you to know that I support you two."

"Oh." Blaine said surprised, "well, thanks, Finn."

"I mean it, Blaine. I have to say I didn't like Jamie very much. I only saw him twice, but he was, I don't know... he seemed like a really cold dude. I always thought Kurt deserved something better. When I found out what happened after my birthday party, I wasn't very enthusiastic. No offense, man, but I knew you weren't a serious relationship kind of guy and I didn't want Kurt to suffer, I hope you understand."

Blaine nodded. 

"That's fair. I really wasn't at the start." He agreed.

"What I want to know is if you're 100% committed to this, to your relationship, because I've never seen my brother so happy, like ever, and I need to be sure that you both want the same thing." Finn looked Blaine in the eye. He wasn't judging him, he just seemed genuinely interested.

"Of course, Finn." Blaine said honestly, "I'm in this with Kurt, and I hope this will last forever." 

He paused and smiled. 

"I haven't told him yet, but I love him."

A big smile spread across Finn's face, and before Blaine could react, Finn pulled him close and put him in a hug, wrapping his long arms around Blaine's back. 

"Oh man, that's great." He said in a cheery tone.

"Yeah...I just hope he feels the same." Blaine said into Finn's shoulder as he hugged him back. He could understand why Kurt found so much comfort in his brother now, it felt safe.

Finn pulled away to look at him. 

"Okay, come here." 

Wrapping an arm around Blaine's shoulders, Finn led him back to the table and made him sit down. 

"Do you have any doubts about Kurt's feelings?" He asked, sitting next to him.

Blaine wanted to say 'no' straight away, he really did. Kurt had been so wonderful to him lately, and their relationship was going good.

But...there was nagging doubt and worry in the back of his mind that maybe Finn could pull away. 

"I-I don't really know how Kurt feels." He said honestly, "I know he's happy, and he does tell me if something is wrong, but…"

He didn't know how to explain, especially to a member of Kurt's family.

Finn smiled understandingly at him. 

"I've been there, in the same situation that you are. I met your sister when I was even younger than you guys are. Imagine controlling all those soulmate feelings at that age. It wasn't easy. I fell in love with her without realizing it, but I didn't know what she was thinking." 

He put his hand on Blaine's shoulder. 

"But the Andersons have eyes that speak for themselves... when I told Brooke I loved her, I knew she felt the same just from the way she looked at me. And tonight, seeing you and Kurt together... I don't know if you're aware, but you must have looked at each other like one hundred times over dinner. That's love, Blaine."

Blaine smiled at the thought, and he did remember the affection he always saw in Kurt's eyes. Maybe he was overthinking it.

"If I'm honest, Finn, I think I'm more afraid of this now than I was before...I don't want to fuck it up and end up losing him."

"Just love him." Finn said, as if it were the most obvious thing. "Kurt hasn't had many people in his life who really cared about him. As long as you love him and are honest with him, everything will be fine."

Blaine nodded. Finn was surprisingly good at pep talks; better than his sister, anyway. He just hoped Kurt wasn't going through some horribly torturous questions up there.

******

Kurt had a great time bathing the kids. He made them laugh as he put a lot of foam in their faces and tickled them, and he didn't even get angry when his clothes and hair ended up pretty wet. 

The only thing that made him a little nervous was that Brooke hadn't opened her mouth since they'd left the kitchen. She was just watching him silently. 

It was the same when they put the kids to bed. Kurt sat on Jack's bed and Brooke on Anna's, and he told them a story while his sister-in-law was focused on stroking her daughter's hair. 

It wasn't until they left the kids' room when they finally fell asleep that Brooke stepped in front of him and started talking.

"You can relax, Kurt. I'm not going to go all overprotective mother lion and rip your throat out." She said sarcastically, chuckling a bit at his expression, "I'll just say that Blaine does look happier today."

Kurt breathed in relief, and smiled sheepishly at her. 

"Making him happy is my number one priority right now, Brooke."

"Good. I would hope it is, after the other week when he was falling apart." Brooke said a little unfriendly now, "I don't mean to sound doubtful, but you understand my worry for this relationship, right?"

Kurt frowned. The memory of his fight with Blaine and that horrible weekend still hurt him. 

"That was before we got together." He pointed out. "I know I had doubts, and I know I did things wrong. But from the moment we decided to give our relationship a chance, everything's going great. We talk a lot."

Brooke gave him a soft look and then a smile.

"I know you're both working on this. It was just tough to see him going through something like that and not be able to help. I know he's an adult and has his own mind, but he does get himself in trouble sometimes." She sighed.

"If it helps, it wasn't easy for me to see him like that either, and even less to know that it was my fault. But now I know the happy Blaine, whose eyes shine like a child's ones, and he smiles so much that you think his cheeks will hurt later..." Kurt said, grinning at the thought of that happy face he adored. "I just want to see him like that every day."

"Me too. And I saw it tonight." She replied with another grin, "it's been years since I've seen him like that. He was always smiling when we were younger, but as he got older, he smiled less and became a little hardened."

Kurt longed to ask. He had so many questions about Blaine's past, but he knew that it was Blaine and only Blaine who had to tell him all, not his sister. 

"I want this to work, Brooke, I've never wanted anything so bad. Blaine is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I plan to take care of him, I promise you." 

He wanted to add that he loved him, but he needed Blaine to be the first to hear those words when they came out of his mouth.

"I can tell that you two already care so deeply for each other, it's really nice to see." She said with a nod, "and thank you...I know I was hard on you at first, but I just wanted you to either be all in or not be in at all. Now that I know, I can rest a little easier."

Kurt smiled at her as he placed his hand gently on her arm. 

"I get it. I would have reacted exactly like that too, but I'm all in. And he is, too… I'm so lucky."

Brooke turned and hugged him, pulling him tightly into her arms.

"I think you're both pretty lucky." She whispered by his ear.

Kurt smiled as he hugged her back. After a few seconds, they pulled away and went downstairs together, and when they got to the living room, they found Finn and Blaine sitting together on the couch, watching something on TV. They looked very concentrated. 

Kurt looked at Brooke, who shook her head in amusement. 

"What are you doing?" He asked, and laughed as they both jumped on the couch. They hadn't heard them come down.

Blaine smiled when he saw that Kurt and his sister looked perfectly calm, like they hadn't started a war upstairs. 

"Hey." He said, getting up to greet his boyfriend with a small kiss, now that the kids weren't around, "we were just watching a football game while we waited for you to come down."

"Yeah, and the second half just started, so sit down, Blaine." Finn grunted without taking his eyes off the TV. 

Just in case Blaine thought about listening to his brother, Kurt quickly wrapped his arm around Blaine's waist and pouted at him.

"Sorry, Finn, maybe another time." Blaine told his brother-in-law, although his attention was still on Kurt's face, "it's getting pretty late. I need to drive Kurt home."

Kurt smiled and kissed him on the cheek as Finn grunted and got up from the couch. 

"Fine. But you have to come to watch the game here sometime, I always have to watch them alone and..." Finn trailed off when he noticed Brooke approaching him. "Hey, honey. Did I tell you how pretty you are tonight?" He said to his wife.

"I love you too, handsome." She grinned a little snarkily before walking back to Blaine and Kurt, pulling them both into a hug, "don't be strangers, really."

"We won't." Kurt stated before pulling away and giving his brother a hug. "See you, big man." He said, and smiled widely as he saw Blaine and Finn hugging as well before Blaine took his hand and they walked to the door together. 

As they left the house and reached out to the car, Kurt hung on Blaine's neck, looking at him fondly. 

"It wasn't that horrible, was it?"

"Actually, I would say it was quite tame, and when my sister is involved, that's a big deal." Blaine laughed and pulled Kurt a little closer so that he could get a proper kiss, one he had been waiting for all night.

Kurt hummed against Blaine's lips, feeling his entire body activate with the kiss. He really needed that contact, but he reluctantly pulled away and went to the passenger seat. 

"Brooke was quite nice during our little talk. How about Finn? I'd say you guys bonded." Kurt smirked as he got in the car.

"Yeah." Blaine smiled a little wistfully as he climbed in the driver's side, "Finn was really cool about it. I just promised to do my best."

"I'm sure you did." Kurt giggled as Blaine started the car. 

The drive to Kurt's apartment was almost quiet, but it was a easy silence, the one between two people who are comfortable together. 

However, when Blaine parked in front of his place, Kurt realized that they hadn't made any plans for the weekend. 

"Thank you for the ride." He smiled before unbuckling his seat belt and turning to look at Blaine. "See you on... Monday?" He asked, trying to sound nonchalant, and failing.

"No." Blaine said, and at Kurt's shocked and confused expression, he took his hand and chuckled, "if you think I'm spending a whole weekend without seeing you, then you must be out of your mind. Don't make any plans for tomorrow night, I have a surprise for you." He grinned widely at Kurt.

Kurt let out an excited cry and hugged Blaine, wrapping his arms around his neck and drawing closer to him. 

"I really expected you to say something like that. I don't feel like spending two days without you." He leaned in until his lips touched Blaine's. 

The kiss quickly turned more passionate, and Kurt's tongue slipped into Blaine's mouth as soon as his lips parted. Kurt moaned as his hands tangled in Blaine's hair and his boyfriend's firmly grasped his back. 

He pulled back to catch some air, breathing hard close to Blaine's mouth.

"What time tomorrow?" He asked, looking at Blaine with darkened eyes.

Blaine took a couple seconds to respond after that mind numbing kiss. He cleared his throat and gave Kurt a smile.

"Be ready by 6:30pm, I'll come get you." 

Blaine's eyes flickered between Kurt's intense gaze and his lips for a few moments.

"Good." Kurt sighed, unable to get out of the car yet. "Thanks for tonight, by the way. You've been the perfect boyfriend."

"Well, it's easy to be one for a perfect boyfriend." Blaine gave him a wink.

Kurt blushed and shook his head. 

"See you tomorrow then. Good night, baby."

"Good night, sweetheart. I'll text you when I get home." Blaine leaned over and placed a loving lingering kiss against the underside of Kurt's jawline.

"Yes, please. I need to know that you made it home safely." Kurt nuzzled Blaine's cheek before opening the car door and getting out. 

He waved Blaine goodbye and turned to open the door of his building with a big smile and his heart pumping in his chest. 

What would Blaine have prepared for the next day?


	22. Chapter 22

How do you dress when you don't know where you are going?, Kurt thought as he threw another shirt on the bed in frustration. Blaine would be there in half an hour and he still didn't know what clothes to choose. 

He wanted to look perfect. The first two dates had been his thing, he always knew what was going to happen and he was in control, but this one had been planned by Blaine, and he needed to be up to it. 

After a final look at his wardrobe, he decided there was nothing worse than being overdressed, and settled on tight blue jeans, a red plaid shirt and black boots. If Blaine showed up in a suit and tie, he could always go back upstairs to get changed. 

When he was satisfied with his look, he grabbed a small gift-wrapped box from the coffee table and left the apartment. 

As he opened the door in the entrance of the building at 6:28pm, he found Blaine walking towards him.

Blaine was wearing a jacket that looked like a soft sort of blazer, casually unbuttoned, red pants with a black shirt and black shoes. He grinned a little when he saw Kurt.

"You could have waited for me to get to your door."

"Why? This way you don't have to go upstairs to find me." Kurt approached Blaine and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Well, at least now we have a couple of minutes to do this." Blaine said as he wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and pulled him into a longer kiss.

Kurt melted as Blaine's lips pressed to his, with that mix of sweet and demanding touch that he loved. He wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck, though Blaine pulled away when he felt something digging into the back of his neck.

"Ouch, what's that?" He asked as he pulled away, and looked at Kurt's hands curiously.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry." Kurt chuckled as he handed Blaine the box he was holding. "This is for you... since you're always the one who picks me up and I've never bought you anything before, I thought you should have at least a small token for this date."

"Aw, baby, you didn't have to do that." Blaine said as he took the box with a soft smile, "I don't buy you things just to get anything back. But thank you."

"I know you don't, but I wanted to. Open it." Kurt looked at him expectantly as Blaine quickly unwrapped the box. "These are my favorite chocolates, they're from an amazing bakery near my apartment." He explained.

"Oh my gosh." Blaine said excitedly, "I love chocolate. Thank you. Maybe we can share them when we get to where we're going?" 

Blaine grinned at him and looked at his watch.

"Actually, we better get going. I have to get you there on time." He said as he took Kurt's hand and then walked back to where his car was, "you're going to love this place."

"You're not going to tell me where we're going, are you? Is this your revenge for asking you to close your eyes last Tuesday?" Kurt asked as he followed Blaine to the car.

Blaine laughed lightly as they stopped by his car, and he unlocked it and opened the passenger door to Kurt. He made a motion of locking his lips with a smile before gesturing for Kurt to get in the car.

Kurt shook his head with a smile as he got into the car, and waited for Blaine to get in as well before speaking. 

"You're lucky to be so cute. I wouldn't have forgiven any other guy for the crisis I had today in choosing an outfit."

"I'll make it up to you on our next date. We'll stay in and you can wear absolutely nothing." Blaine grinned a little salaciously as he started the car, wriggling his eyebrows at Kurt.

Kurt laughed and leaned in to kiss Blaine on the neck before fastening his seat belt. 

"Okay, handsome, I'm in your hands tonight. Let's see where you take me." He said, giving a couple of claps in excitement.

They made light conversation as Blaine drove, and after about 10 minutes, Blaine parked in a space he spotted that was just a short walk from the place he had found on the Internet.

He smiled at Kurt as he turned the car off and got out, but he ran around to the other side of the car to open Kurt's door for him.

"You ready for the night of your life, sweetheart?" He asked as he held a hand out like a gentleman.

Kurt sighed and smiled when he took Blaine's hand and got out the car. He couldn't help it, he loved those little moments when Blaine would open the door for him or pull the chair out for him to sit down. Jamie never did any of that, but Blaine made him feel special. 

"I'm so ready, baby." He said.

"Let's go." 

Blaine kissed his cheek lightly before linking their arms together, locking his car and then beginning to walk towards the complex where the mini theatre held the screening. He was actually excited about this place too. He had never been to one of these showings before, and he hoped that he was right about Kurt enjoying it.

It was always fun when you could enjoy the magic of movies surrounded by people doing the same thing.

As they approached the place, Blaine could see a couple of people that were dressed up as characters from 'The Little Mermaid', and he grinned. The one dressed as Ariel looked amazing.

Kurt saw them too and turned to Blaine, grabbing his arm tighter. 

"Are we going to watch 'The Little Mermaid'?" He asked, looking at Blaine with wide eyes.

Blaine laughed at his excitement.

"Sort of."

"I can't believe it. I can't believe you found a theater where they screen a movie that was released over 30 years ago." Kurt bit his lower lip, trying to contain his emotions. "Do you know how wonderful you are?" 

Blaine gave him a smile as they walked past a couple more characters and went through the door together.

"Well, if you love the idea of watching it, you'll love this even more." Blaine said as he flashed the booking on his phone screen at one attendant on the way in. She smiled at both of them and told them where to find their seats.

The movie was going to start at 7pm, so they had 5 minutes to wait for the theatre space to fill up. It was different to an actual cinema, there were spaced out sections of seats. The walkways between each row were a lot bigger, probably for people to dance in.

Already in their seats, Kurt stared at everything with his mouth open, without letting go of Blaine's hand. 

"Okay, I know this isn't a normal movie theater, but I have no idea what's going to happen and I'm so nervous." He told him.

Blaine squeezed his hand as the rows of seats filled up with people. Some in costume and some not, though he did smile as Ariel and Prince Eric sat together a little away from them.

"Don't be nervous, this is going to be fun." He told Kurt as a hush fell over the room and the lights only dimmed a little as the movie started.

Kurt sat up straight to enjoy the movie, but as soon as the scene with the sailors on Prince Eric's ship started, a lot of people dressed as the characters appeared through the walkways, singing the song, dancing and encouraging the audience to join them by following the lyrics on the screen.

He smiled and looked at Blaine, who was watching him closely, waiting for his reaction. 

"It's a sing-along!" He exclaimed, and to Blaine's delight, Kurt quickly got into the mood and began singing enthusiastically.

Blaine stood up and sang too. It was only a short song, but the people in character began speaking like them on screen too. It was amazing to see the live-action version as well as hear and watch the movie. A lot of people were giddily laughing as the ones in sailor costumes danced back to their seats.

He gave Kurt a grin as they sat down again.

"So did I make the right choice bringing you here?" He whispered.

Kurt leaned in to kiss him, and when he pulled away, he had a wide smile on his face.

"You can't imagine how happy I am right now. Thank you." He whispered back.

Blaine held his hand through some of the movie, and they both happily watched others performing the next songs and scenes. But as the scene changed to Ariel inside the little cavern of 'human objects', Blaine grinned as he turned to Kurt.

"Wanna duet with me?"

Kurt nodded without hesitation.

"It's my favorite Disney song, of course I want."

Blaine stood and pulled Kurt to his feet. He gave him a quick kiss and then took one step back so they could watch each other sing and smile.

Blaine started loudly, so that Kurt could hear his voice over everyone else's.

"Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?  
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?  
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl  
The girl who has everything?" 

He gestured for Kurt to take the next part.

Kurt sighed. He forgot about where they were, he just looked Blaine in the eye and started singing. 

"Look at this trove, treasures untold  
How many wonders can one cavern hold?  
Looking around here you'd think  
Sure, she's got everything"

Blaine smiled at him as he joined him on the next part.

"I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty,  
I've got whoszits and whatzits galore!" 

They both sang, and it began to attract other people's attention, but they didn't care.

"You want thingamabobs?  
I've got twenty  
But who cares?  
No big deal  
I want more"

Blaine took a step forward and held one hand out for Kurt as he took the next part, and Kurt stared at him with a blush on his cheeks.

"I wanna be where the people are  
I wanna see, wanna see them dancing  
Walking around on those..."

"What do you call them?" Kurt asked, and they both said, "Oh, feet" with a laugh.

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and began to move to the beat of the music, and Kurt could only follow him, placing his arms around his shoulders. Kurt felt like he was in a fantasy, he couldn't believe he was singing and dancing with his soulmate in the middle of a theater. 

"Flipping your fins you don't get too far  
Legs are required for jumping, dancing  
Strolling along down a..." 

"What's that word again?" Blaine asked, "Street?" Kurt said.

"Up where they walk, up where they run  
Up where they stay all day in the sun  
Wandering free  
Wish I could be part of that world."

Their voices matched perfectly, as if they'd been singing together their whole life.

Neither of them realized just how quiet the theatre had become around them, they were lost in their own little world together.

"What would I give if I could live  
Out of these waters?  
What would I pay to spend a day  
Warm on the sand?  
Betcha' on land they understand  
Bet they don't reprimand their daughters"

Blaine had been staring at Kurt in awe as they danced and sang. Sometimes he would forget he was singing along, because Kurt's voice was so warm and perfect for the song.

"Bright young women, sick of swimming  
Ready to stand"

"I'm ready to know what the people know  
Ask them my questions  
And get some answers  
What's a fire and why does it…  
What's the word? Burn?"

When the last part of the song came, Kurt didn't even know if he was tuning or saying the right words. He felt completely overwhelmed by his feelings for his boyfriend, who held his waist and sang with him with a beautiful deep voice. He wanted that moment to last forever.

"When's it my turn?  
Wouldn't I love, love to explore that shore above  
Out of the sea  
Wish I could be  
Part of that world"

Then, Kurt stared at Blaine, his eyes filling with tears, and as if it were the last sentence of the song, he just said it.

"I love you."

Blaine's eyes widened a little at the words Kurt just said to him, as people around them were clapping and cheering for them. He felt an immense relief flood his entire body as he brought Kurt's face towards him with gentle hands and kissed him. 

It was kept light because they were in public, but Blaine wanted to convey just how beautiful and amazing was hearing those three words from Kurt. But as soon as the kiss finished, he panicked a little inside, because he hadn't said anything back.

He released Kurt's lips and still held his face gently as the crowd around them dispersed a little, going back to the movie. Kurt's eyes were shining so brightly in the dim light, and very watery. 

Blaine's thumbs brushed lightly underneath his eyes as he smiled.

"I love you too, Kurt, so much."

Kurt laughed as a couple of tears rolled down his cheeks. He didn't care, at that precise moment only Blaine mattered. 

Blaine loved him. 

Kurt turned his face and kissed both palms of Blaine's hands. 

"I've wanted to say it for days." He confessed. "I was afraid it would be too soon, but... I guess it just slipped out."

"I'm glad it did." Blaine whispered as he took Kurt's hand and pulled him back to their seats, but he was still cupping his face with one hand and wiping the small tears away with his thumb. "I've been waiting to say it too, for about a week."

"I think our second dance has beaten the first one." Kurt said, before smiling and suddenly blushing. "People just cheered for us, right?"

"They were cheering for us, yeah." Blaine laughed quietly, as the movie switched to the beginning of 'Under the Sea' next, and he grinned at Kurt, "so shall we give them a good show?"

Blaine stood up ready to sing again and held his hand out for Kurt.

Kurt took Blaine's hand and jumped on his feet, clearing his throat before singing again.

It was so fun to sing out all of these well known Disney songs with everyone around them. 'Under The Sea' was a song that everyone and anyone could sing. Kurt and Blaine held each other's hands while they danced around to the tune, singing and laughing at each other all the while.

After the movie progressed, and the different sets of all the characters had played out their scenes, it was a little quiet while Ariel on screen was swimming to see Ursula.

"I always loved this evil bitch, I don't know why." Blaine told Kurt in a hushed voice, chuckling to himself.

"Really?" Kurt asked in a whisper. "When I was a child, Ursula scared me so much. Since I always wanted to sing, I think I was terrified that someone would want to steal my voice."

Blaine gave him a soft empathetic look.

"You have a beautiful voice, I could see why you were scared of it being stolen." He said, leaning a little closer.

Kurt stopped staring at the screen for a moment to look at Blaine. The dim lights were reflected in his eyes and Kurt wanted to lose himself in them.

"So do you, sir." He stated. "Be careful, I could get used to singing with you."

Blaine gave him the biggest smile at the comment and leaned closer so that he was staring into Kurt's eyes as closely as he could. 

"I would sing with you forever, my love."

Kurt had to kiss him while his heart was pounding so hard that he was sure Blaine could hear it too. He slid his lips gently over Blaine's as he stroked his curls with his fingers.

Blaine's hand cupped his face as he turned his head at the right angle to get the most contact between their lips, sliding both wetly along and between Kurt's. He didn't really push for more, satisfied with that passionate and loving kiss, but he did run the tip of his tongue along Kurt's bottom lip lightly before pulling away.

He giggled quietly while placing his forehead against his boyfriend's, their breaths mingling together between them.

"God, I love you." Blaine whispered with a smile. He would never get tired of being able to say it now.

"And I love you." Kurt sighed and nuzzled their noses together. "This is so good that I have a feeling I was ready to love you before I even met you." He pulled back a little, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Does it make any sense?"

Blaine nodded.

"Yeah, it makes perfect sense." He replied, those soft eyes of his turning to molten gold underneath the dim lights, "it's like we've met before. Maybe in another life, maybe in hundreds of lives. And we always found our way back to each other...it's like a lifetime, love, old and new at the same time."

"We're so cheesy." Kurt giggled before kissing Blaine's cheeks several times. "And now stop distracting me, some of us are trying to watch the movie."

"Sorry." Blaine giggled a little too as he sat back, but he made sure to keep his hand in Kurt's as Ursula's song came on.

There was a big lady that was dressed as Ursula at the front, and everyone watched her as she sang too.

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand throughout the scene, not out of fear but out of excitement. His eyes were riveted on the lady disguised as Ursula, who paced the walkways while singing, and he felt like he was inside the movie.

"She's awesome." Blaine whispered, and he squeezed Kurt's hand back as she stopped by their seats and then looked at them before moving on.

"Okay, maybe that scared me a little." Kurt admitted before hiding his face on Blaine's shoulder.

"I'll protect your voice, baby." Blaine said as he leaned his head on top of Kurt's.

They stayed like that for a while, Kurt with his head on Blaine's shoulder and Blaine leaning on him. They saw the scene where Ariel meets Eric, and laughed during the chef's song.

But when the 'Kiss the girl' scene came around, they sat up to look into each other's eyes.

"I always found this moment very frustrating." Kurt whispered. "I understood the suffering of poor Ariel, it's hard when you want to kiss someone so badly."

"Yeah, it's really frustrating." Blaine sighed, thinking of all the times before they were together when he wanted to kiss Kurt.

"The night we babysat Anna and Jack, I wanted to kiss you so many times... I knew I couldn't do it, things were still complicated then, but something inside me kept pulling me towards you. And now that I think about it, you look a bit like Eric." Kurt chuckled.

Blaine had to stifle his laugh a little, because it burst out of him loudly. 

"Does that mean you're my Ariel?" He asked teasingly, making a kissy face at Kurt.

"Well, I don't have red hair, but if I'm your Ariel, I think the song is saying that you should kiss me." Kurt suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"Should I?" Blaine smiled and leaned closer, "I think Eric doesn't actually kiss Ariel until the end. But I think Prince Blaine is gagging to kiss Prince Kurt."

He smashed his lips against Kurt's, feeling the gasp from Kurt's open lips and smiling into the kiss. He actually did involve his tongue this time, but he still tried to keep the kiss a little more innocent than he wanted.

When Blaine broke the kiss, it took Kurt a few seconds to catch his breath.

"I think I like our version of the movie better." He managed to say, licking his lips.

"Me too."

They spent the rest of the movie holding hands and stealing kisses from time to time, like two teenagers on their first date.

When the credits started rolling, they stood up with the rest of the audience, clapping excitedly.

"It was amazing, baby." Kurt said. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you liked it, I was excited for it too. It was really incredible." Blaine said as the theatre began to empty, and they held hands as they walked out too.

They walked down the street on their way to the car, and Kurt silently watched Blaine. He was having the most special night of his life, and he didn't want to go home and say 'goodbye' to Blaine just yet, but he didn't know what Blaine's plans were for it.

"So..." He started. "What do you want to do now?"

Blaine turned to him as they reached his car, and gave him a shy smile. 

"Well, I was hoping that...I could take you back to your place to grab your stuff...and you could sleep over at mine?" He asked a little nervously, "I mean, to just sleep."

"Really?" Kurt's grin split his face in two as he jumped on top of Blaine. "Yes, yes, yes, yes." He said against Blaine's neck.

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt and hugged him tight, breathing in his scent as he buried his face in Kurt's neck. He placed a few kisses against the pale column of Kurt's throat before opening the car door for him and stepping back to allow Kurt to get in the car.

On their way to Kurt's, Kurt opened the box of chocolates they had forgotten in the car, and when they came to a red light and Blaine stopped, he picked one up and held it in front of his mouth.

"You're about to experience something great. Taste this."

"I'm pretty sure you taste better." Blaine said before opening his mouth and letting Kurt place the chocolate inside. It melted on his tongue and a burst of flavor hit him as he groaned, "oh my god...this is amazing."

"It's not me, but I love it when I'm right." Kurt smirked and ate a chocolate himself.

Five minutes later, they arrived at his apartment, and Kurt asked Blaine to wait for him in the car while he quickly got in and bagged the things he needed for the night out.

When he got back, he put his bag on the back seat and turned to Blaine smiling.

"Let's go to your place."

Blaine grinned as he started the car on the way back to his. They didn't have to talk while on the drive, silence was comfortable for them now, and Kurt's hand crawled over to rest on Blaine's thigh as he drove.

When they pulled up to Blaine's apartment building, Blaine got out and grabbed Kurt's bag for him before taking Kurt's hand and heading upstairs.

Little did Kurt know that what Blaine had at his apartment was dinner waiting for them in the oven and cheesecake in the fridge.

When they entered the kitchen and Kurt saw the table set for two, he looked at Blaine.

"So you already had it prepared, huh? Were you so sure I would want to come here?" He pretended to be offended, though he walked over to Blaine and took the bag off his shoulder before wrapping his arms around his neck.

"I was hoping you would." Blaine answered as he pulled Kurt closer, "but then I would have been eating Enchiladas for the next 3 days if not."

"Mexican food? God, just when I thought I couldn't love you more."

Kurt closed the little distance between them to kiss Blaine. It was the kiss that the two of them had needed all night, away from prying eyes. They opened their mouths for their tongues to meet, savoring and licking each other.

When Blaine's hands began to slide down Kurt's back onto his ass, Kurt pulled away, needing all his restraint to do it.

"Maybe we should have dinner." He said, his breath still heavy after the kiss.

"Sure." Blaine said patiently with a smile, moving to pull the tray out of the oven and place it in the centre of the table. 

He was going to offer for Kurt to sit first, but before he could do it, because Kurt smirked at him and pulled the chair out for him. 

"Thank you." Blaine said with a slight blush.

"You're welcome." Kurt winked at him before sitting down next to him. 

He picked up the tray carefully before putting half the food on Blaine's plate and the other half on his. 

"My favorite movie, my favorite food... has anyone ever told you that you have an eye for detail, Mr. Anderson?" He asked with a smile.

"You know, if someone actually takes notice like I do, it's not hard to find out your favorite things." Blaine explained, "and I also know you have a favorite pet name."

"Do I? And which one is it?" Kurt made a mysterious face, making Blaine laugh.

"Of all things I've called you, like beautiful, gorgeous, baby, sweetheart...there's one that really gets an amazing reaction out of you." Blaine gave him a smile that was all knowing, "isn't that right... darling?" 

Kurt giggled and his cheeks turned slightly red. 

"Yeah, I love that one... and I know you really like it when I call you 'baby', because you always smile right away. See?" He pointed to the bright smile Blaine had on his face.

"I can't help it. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside." Blaine said with a little laugh, nudging Kurt with his shoulder as he took a bite of his food. 

Kurt smiled as he turned and started eating dinner too. The food was delicious, but he had a hard time focusing on anything other than Blaine. He couldn't stop looking at him, he felt drunk with love.

Blaine could feel the glances like a laser burning through his head, and it made him feel a little dizzy. He was happy for the amount of attention, but it was messing with his body a bit. 

He felt his entire skin tingling with excitement. After confessing their love for each other, it was like a dial in Blaine's heart had been turned up to full. He wanted his boyfriend so much. 

He cleared his throat and got up to go get a drink from his fridge. 

"Do you want a diet coke, lemonade, or something stronger?" He asked with a smile.

Kurt laughed, aware that Blaine was a bit affected by the situation. He wasn't the only one. 

"Something stronger? I don't know if that would be a good idea..." He said, looking intently at Blaine.

"Well, it would only be one with dinner, and I only offered because you're here. I swear I haven't touched a drop of alcohol since we last spoke about it." Blaine said honestly, "but I guess diet cokes for us both it is." 

He walked back to his seat and slid a can over to Kurt, giving him a small smile.

"Hey." Kurt reached out to cup Blaine's face with his hand. "I didn't mean that you had a problem. I know you would talk to me before you get drunk again. The thing is... I don't know if I could control myself if I drank. You know I'm kind of a lightweight and… I want you, especially tonight." He admitted.

Blaine blushed. 

"Oh."

He chuckled after, and then took Kurt's hand and kissed it. 

"You know I want you too, right?"

"I do know. But I remember what you told me the last time we talked about this. I'm in no rush, tonight has been perfect and I don't want anything to happen just because we have a couple of drinks." Kurt said, stroking Blaine's knuckles with his thumb.

"So... what if we both want something to happen, without the drinks?" Blaine asked curiously, but also hopeful.

Kurt's eyes widened when he heard that. 

"Do you want to…?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Well..." Blaine ran his fingers over Kurt's hand and trailed them over his wrist before curling them around it lightly, "I want to do one thing." 

He didn't smirk, he just gave Kurt an honest looking smile, his gaze filled with love as he looked into Kurt's wide eyes.

Kurt leaned towards him slightly, until their faces were just a few inches apart.

"What thing?" He smiled at him, trying to reassure Blaine. They needed to be able to talk about this honestly. "Tell me."

Blaine couldn't help but lean closer to peck Kurt's lips first before whispering against them, "I wanna blow you."

It took Kurt only a couple of seconds to take that in. Trying to ignore his own body's response, as his pants were suddenly even tighter in a certain area, he cleared his throat and looked at Blaine. 

"I want that too."

"Yeah?" Blaine wanted to be sure that Kurt was all in this, because he didn't want to do anything that Kurt didn't feel comfortable with, "I mean, I know we love each other, but I don't want to if you're just saying that for me."

Kurt sighed before bringing Blaine's hand to his lips and kissing it. 

"Baby, I want everything with you. I've been clear about it for days, but I was convinced to do this at your own pace. You wanted to enjoy having a boyfriend, dating... I would never try to force you into anything else. But if you want to, then so do I. I love you, Blaine. I've never been so sure of anything before."

Blaine's smile after that was blinding as he stared at his boyfriend with awe. 

"Say that again." He said breathlessly, "say you love me again."

"I love you. I love you so much." Kurt whispered, his eyes bright with emotion.

"Say it again." Blaine said almost straight away, his breathing coming out a little more rapidly as he moved his hands up Kurt's arms and over his shoulders.

"I love you." Kurt repeated, as the heat began to spread through his body.

Blaine's hands travelled over the top of Kurt's shoulders and down his back lightly, as Blaine nuzzled his nose underneath Kurt's chin to move his head up, and placed small kisses against his throat. 

"Again." He whispered against the skin before he started sucking tiny marks that would disappear later.

Kurt closed his eyes and tilted his head back, giving Blaine's mouth more room. 

"I love you." His words were almost a moan this time.

"Mmm…" Blaine hummed against the skin underneath his lips before pulling his mouth away and going back up for Kurt's lips. 

He fisted Kurt's hair gently as he brought their faces close, licking a line across Kurt's bottom lip before kissing him deeply.

Kurt responded eagerly to the kiss, sucking Blaine's tongue into his mouth as his hands gripped his shoulder blades.

Blaine let a groan in his throat reverberate against Kurt's tongue, and started pulling Kurt's body closer. 

He could feel his own pants getting tighter as the kiss went on, and before his mind could put a halt to it, he remembered he could actually do something now. 

He did pull back slowly, but only to get up and take Kurt's hand to pull him up too. 

He grinned as he led his boyfriend to the couch, and at Kurt's confused and amused look, he laughed a little. 

"If we go to my bedroom for this, we might actually end up doing a lot more than I want right now. Hope you don't mind, darling." He explained, and then added, "my couch is clean, I promise."

Kurt laughed without taking his eyes off Blaine. 

"I couldn't care less about the couch's cleanliness right now." He smirked.

Blaine chuckled as he pulled him along, and then pushed him down onto the couch as he climbed into his lap. 

"That's very unlike you, Mr. Hummel, but I guess I understand." Blaine grinned as he connected their lips again.

Kurt pressed his lips against Blaine's hungrily. He placed one of his hands firmly on Blaine's hip, and the other up to his curls, tugging at them.

Blaine grunted as tingles ran down his spine as Kurt tugged on his hair, and he moved his hips closer to Kurt's, feeling both of their tented pants touch. Blaine moaned into Kurt's mouth and then pulled away to bury his face in the side of Kurt's neck, licking and kissing on the skin there as he made a downwards grinding motion against his boyfriend. 

"Fuck...you feel good." He whispered with a gasp as their erections pushed against one another.

"Oh god... I told you I love you, right?" Kurt mumbled in Blaine's ear, raising his hips as Blaine pushed his down, making them both moan loudly.

"Yes, yes, you did..." Blaine said a little breathlessly, and he pulled back to give Kurt a big smile, taking hold of both sides of his face to make them stare into each other's eyes, "but say it again." 

He watched Kurt's eyes roll back a little as he gave another little thrust down.

"I love you, baby, I love you." Kurt said again, as he felt all his skin burning and something inside his lower stomach melting with pleasure.

Blaine moved down slowly, kissing Kurt's collarbone as he pulled the shirt down with one finger. Then he let his knees drop onto the floor in front of the couch and pulled the bottom of Kurt's shirt out of his jeans, undoing the belt and the zipper. 

He moved his eyes upwards and caught Kurt's gaze for a moment, sharing a loving smile with him before his hand went underneath his boxers and pants, and he tugged at Kurt's erection lightly. 

As Kurt moaned above him, Blaine's other hand lifted his shirt a little to expose his abdomen while Blaine attached his mouth to it and began sucking bigger marks there.

Kurt groaned louder, throwing his head back and bringing one of his hands to Blaine's hair. He didn't tug on it; he just slipped his fingers through his curls. 

"You're killing me..." He whispered.

"We can't let that happen." Blaine said against the skin of Kurt's abdomen before moving lower, kissing his way down as his hands worked on pulling the jeans down enough so he could get to his goal tonight. 

As soon as he had pulled Kurt's erection free of its confines, he sent another soft look up at Kurt's face before opening his mouth and taking it all into his mouth in one swift motion.

Kurt's mind clouded completely. Some kind of high-pitched growl came from his throat as he forced himself to open his eyes and look at Blaine. He needed to watch him while he did that. 

"Baby... oh god... yes..." He yelled.

Blaine hummed around Kurt, pushing his tongue against him as he started moving backwards and forwards, stopping a few times to suckle at the head before sucking it all back inside his mouth again. 

He loved the feel of Kurt's fingers in his hair, and opened his eyes to look up through his lashes at his boyfriend. God, he had the best facial expression when he was in pleasure. Blaine could come just from looking at him like that. 

He moved one of his hands down to his own tented pants, pushing his palm against his own erection, which made him moan around Kurt's again.

Seeing Blaine looking at him from below through his long black lashes, with his perfect mouth around him as he touched himself almost made Kurt come right there. 

Jeez, there couldn't be anything more erotic than his boyfriend giving him pleasure liked that. 

As he stared at him, Kurt couldn't help but thrust his hips, causing Blaine to pull away a bit. 

"I'm so sorry, love." He apologized right away.

Blaine chuckled roughly.

"It's okay, babe, just warn me." He gave him a smile before wrapping his lips back around him.

He didn't move though, giving Kurt silent permission to thrust.

Kurt thrusted again, gently this time as he bit his lower lip to stifle a groan when he reached Blaine's throat.

Blaine had control of his gag reflex when he was pre-warned, so as Kurt thrusted his hips forward, he was able to relax his throat muscles a little bit to let him in. His moan vibrated through his mouth, and he knew that Kurt could feel it because his thighs shivered slightly. 

Blaine's hands moved to undo his pants, pulling them and his underwear down so that he wouldn't make a sticky mess inside. He wrapped a hand around himself and started to jerk himself quickly. He was already close to the edge.

Kurt's thrusts were gentle but fast. Feeling the muscles of Blaine's throat and the vibration of his moans around him was a sensation unlike anything Kurt had ever felt before. 

Even though the night they spent together Blaine had already done something similar, now everything was different, more intense. There was no alcohol in Kurt's veins, just love and devotion for Blaine, his soulmate. 

Kurt felt the pre-orgasm tremors running through his body as all of his skin tingled. 

"Blaine, baby, I'm almost there..." He warned him, just in case he wanted to pull away.

Blaine hummed and closed his eyes as he gripped his own erection tighter. The thrusts that Kurt was doing into his throat were making him a little dizzy, and the pleasure crawled up his spine as heat swirled within his stomach. 

He pushed himself forward a little, forcing Kurt's erection deeper; even though Kurt was trying to be gentle with him, Blaine just had to push it harder. And that was it, a spark went off inside him as his throat tightened around Kurt and he came over his hand. 

He groaned loudly, the sound coming out through his nose as his entire body spasmed a little at the sensation.

When Blaine came, Kurt felt Blaine's throat tighten even more around him, and Blaine's entranced expression made him give one last thrust and come down his boyfriend's throat, as a sound resembling Blaine's name came out of his mouth at full volume.

After that, Kurt slumped against the back of the couch, his body and mind completely numb.

Blaine swallowed the last few drops down and then pulled his lips away slowly. As he slid off of Kurt's wilting erection, he grinned as he wiped his own hand over his shirt, which would have to be washed later. Then he moved his hands up to pull Kurt's boxers and jeans back over him, but leaving them open. 

He pushed his own cock back into his pants before he stood up and stretched his legs out, looking down at Kurt's relaxed face. 

"You okay, darling?" He asked, teasing him a little.

"No. I think I'm dead and just entered heaven. Are you God?" Kurt asked with a small chuckle.

Blaine giggled at Kurt's silliness before climbing back onto his lap and snuggling against him, chest to chest, wrapping his arms comfortably around Kurt's waist and fitting his head just underneath Kurt's chin. 

"Not God. I'm sure he doesn't give his angels a bj." Blaine replied with a small laugh.

Kurt laughed as he wrapped his arms around Blaine, pulling him as tightly as he could against his chest. 

"Stay just like this, please... I don't want to let you go." He whispered, rubbing his cheek against Blaine's curls. 

He felt vulnerable and knew that his words conveyed it, but he wasn't afraid to say them. He needed Blaine, he loved Blaine and this hadn't just been a sexual act. An amazing and very pleasurable sexual act. 

Kurt felt like it had somehow brought them a little closer.

Blaine nodded against his collarbone, before pressing a small kiss to the skin there and nuzzling his face into Kurt's shirt. 

"I love you." He said softly, not moving one inch at all.

"I love you too."

******

"Hey, sweetheart?" Blaine called out through the bathroom door, when he heard the water in the shower turn off. 

"Yeah?" Kurt's muffled reply came back, and Blaine grinned. 

"When you come out of the bathroom, close your eyes, okay?" Blaine told him, and there was a pause before Kurt said, "okay." 

Blaine quickly walked back into the kitchen and straight to the refrigerator to grab the homemade cheesecake out and plate them both a piece. 

After the amazing time they had had with each other about an hour ago, they had spent about half an hour just snuggling together on the couch before Kurt decided it was time for a change of clothes for both of them, and Blaine agreed. 

Blaine had a shower first while Kurt offered to clear away the leftovers from dinner earlier that they didn't finish, and when Kurt went into the bathroom after him, Blaine quickly ran into his bedroom and searched through every drawer in the place for as many candles as possible. 

He was going to make the living room a snuggle/cuddle space for them when Kurt came back, and so far he had lots of fake and real candles spread out all over the place. The real candles were placed on tiny plates and on non-flammable products, just in case they fell asleep without blowing them out. Blaine hoped they wouldn't fall asleep on the couch together though; it wasn't very comfortable to sleep on. 

After making sure the lighting was cozy and warm, and that they had some fluffy cushions and a big warm blanket on the couch, he placed the two plates of cheesecake down on the coffee table, along with two mugs of hot chocolate that he had made when Kurt had first hopped in the shower 10 minutes ago. 

It was ready. Blaine looked around one final time with a smile; he was proud of his work. 

"Baby, can I come out now?" Kurt called as he opened the bathroom door a tiny bit, and Blaine went back to the door to guide him out. 

"Yes, yes. Let me hold your hand." 

Kurt's hand gripped his and he gingerly stepped past the bathroom door, wearing his navy blue pyjama bottoms but foregoing the top in favor of a white vest, which Blaine loved because the muscles in Kurt's arms were clearly defined and his skin was so smooth, and he liked running his fingers over them. 

Which might have also been the reason Kurt did that; he knew Blaine very well.

With Kurt's eyes still closed, Blaine led him to the perfect position between his kitchen and the living room couch, so that Kurt could take in the real beauty of the warm atmosphere he had created. 

"Okay, you can open your eyes now." Blaine whispered against Kurt's ear, and his boyfriend bit his lip as he slowly opened his eyes.

Kurt held his breath as he looked around. 

He saw how the whole room was lit simply by the light of a lot of candles, and spotted the two plates with cheesecake and the two cups of chocolate on the coffee table. 

Kurt turned to look at Blaine, smiling from ear to ear. 

"What is all this?" He asked in a small voice.

Blaine grinned and rubbed the back of his neck, blushing a little. He shrugged as he looked back at Kurt. 

"I just...wanted to show you how much I appreciate you, and how much I love you." He explained, "I don't have any experience with dating or being someone's boyfriend, but I do love you, and I wanted to do something romantic for you. For us."

Kurt shook his head, as if he couldn't believe all that, and moved closer to Blaine, wrapping his arms around his neck and leaving two, three, four kisses on the soft skin under Blaine's ear. 

"I love you so much..." He whispered, his lips still against Blaine's neck. "This wasn't necessary, baby, all I wanted tonight was to be with you. You may never have been anyone's boyfriend, but you're everything I could ask for mine and more; you're the best. Thank you."

"You sure it's not too cheesy or too much?" Blaine asked quietly as he hugged Kurt back. 

Blaine was lost when it came to overdoing romance; he never had to do any of it before, so he was a little nervous that he had gone too far.

Kurt pulled away quickly upon hearing that, cupping Blaine's face with his hands. It had become something they both did when they wanted the other to look them in the eye. 

"It's perfect. Anything you do for me because you want to make me happy will never be too much. Besides, I'm the king of cheesiness." He giggled.

"I thought you were a prince?" Blaine grinned at him before turning and pressing a kiss to the inside of one of Kurt's hands, pulling his face out of his grip and taking his hands in his own. "Or an angel tonight?"

"I may be a prince, or an angel, but above all, I'm your soulmate. And you're the person who has made me the happiest in my entire life." Kurt leaned down to bring his lips to Blaine's, just a touch before resting their foreheads together. "Can we go to the couch now? I need to cuddle with you like right now."

"Sure." 

Blaine gave him a huge toothy smile, which made his eyes crinkle a little. It was his signature sunny smile, one that Kurt loved to see. 

"Take a seat, darling." Blaine said with a flourish.

Kurt rolled his eyes, but he didn't wipe the smile off his face as he flopped onto the couch. 

"Can you please sit with me, baby? I'll be forced to eat the two pieces of cheesecake by myself if you don't." He warned Blaine.

"I was just about to sit with you, you're so impatient." Blaine laughed as he flopped down next to him and then grabbed the big blanket next to him and flung it across both of their legs, "so are you ready to try my hot chocolate and my cheesecake?"

Blaine put emphasis on 'my' both times as he watched Kurt's reaction. He had spent hours trying different recipes for cheesecake that morning. The vanilla one came out the best.

Kurt sat still before he could take the plate. 

"What?" He asked. "Did you really make this?"

"Yep, I went shopping this morning and tried a lot of different combinations before I stuck with this one." Blaine said with a smile, "and this hot chocolate is actually Dylan's recipe...it's made with hot milk, heavy cream and Nutella. It's amazing, trust me."

Kurt stared at him for a minute. He didn't say anything, he just looked at Blaine as if he were seeing him for the first time, as if he wanted to engrave his image in his mind.

Blaine watched Kurt's frozen expression for a couple of seconds, and then raised his eyebrows a little. 

"You okay?" He asked a little curiously.

Kurt threw himself on top of Blaine, causing him to fall on his back on the couch while Kurt kissed his entire face. He saw how Blaine started to laugh, but he didn't intend to push him away, so he kept covering his face with kisses, as if he feared leaving a single inch without the touch of his lips. 

When he was satisfied, he pulled back slightly, resting his forearms on Blaine's chest. 

"You cooked for me." Kurt said. "Damn, do you know how much I love you? I'm going to repeat it to you every day until you ask me to shut up."

Blaine was still chuckling lightly as his whole face tingled in all the places that Kurt had kissed. He looked into Kurt's eyes seriously though, and ran his fingers through Kurt's still damp hair. 

"I'll never tell you to shut up." He told him earnestly. Even though he knew Kurt meant it as a joke, Blaine would never ever tell him to stop talking. He loved his voice too much, especially when he said those three words.

"Great." 

Kurt sat up, and held out his hands to Blaine to help him up as well. When they were seated next to each other, he took one of the plates. 

"Okay, time to taste this." He picked up a piece of cake and popped it into his mouth, sighing as the taste hit him. "This is so good, honey. Here." 

Kurt took another piece and held it to Blaine's mouth, but before Blaine could take it, Kurt popped it into his own mouth again. When his boyfriend tried to protest, he leaned in and kissed him, parting his lips so that Blaine could actually savor the cake remnants on his tongue. 

Then Kurt pulled away a bit, looking at Blaine with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

"Good, right?" He asked.

"God, so good." Blaine said with a smirk, "maybe you should always feed me like that." 

They both laughed as Blaine picked up his own plate and took a piece off and popped it into his mouth. It tasted great, but he still pouted as he looked back at Kurt. 

"Just as I thought, you taste better than anything else."

"I never doubted it." Kurt giggled as he picked up the mug of chocolate and took a sip. "Okay, I think I love Dylan too, tell him for me."

"I mean, you can like Dylan, but I'm afraid that I have all of your love, darling. I'm locking your heart and mine together and throwing away the key." Blaine said with superiority in his voice, almost like he was jealous, but not really.

"Really? So I'm yours and you're mine for good, is that it?" Kurt dipped a finger into the chocolate and smeared the tip of Blaine's nose with it, before wiping it off with his lips.

"Oh yes, you and I are tied together. No way out." Blaine said with a smirk, taking a bit of cheesecake frosting on his finger and smearing it along Kurt's neck before diving in to lick and suck it off, humming with enjoyment at the taste of Kurt's skin mixed with the vanilla.

Kurt gasped as he felt Blaine's tongue run down his neck. 

"Is this part of the recipe?" Because I… I want to try too." He stuttered, before imitating Blaine and smearing his neck with the cheesecake. 

Kurt chuckled before leaning in and scooping it up with his lips and tongue, and gave Blaine a small bite under his jaw before pulling away. 

"You were right, it's delicious this way."

"Right?" Blaine laughed lightly, placing his plate down with the half finished cheesecake piece and picking up his chocolate to take a sip, "can I ask you a personal question?"

"Of course, anything." Kurt said, taking his mug too.

"Have you ever used food in the bedroom?"

"No, never." Kurt answered sincerely. "Before I met you, sex was much more... mechanical. Jamie and I never spent much time playing like this. It was never so intimate." He explained, blushing a little.

"Well, I haven't either, so I guess there are still some things we'll discover together." Blaine said with a small smile, taking one of Kurt's hands as he placed his mug back down on the table and then snuggling into Kurt's side, "is there anything you want to ask me?"

"Actually, yes." 

Kurt took a sip of his chocolate before setting the mug on the table next to Blaine's and putting his arm around his boyfriend's shoulders to draw him closer.

"Why did you want to give me a blowjob?" He asked, blurting out the words. "I mean, I have no complaints, it was incredible, but... of all the things we could do, or that I could do to you, why did you choose that?"

"Well, I know that the very first one you had came from me, and I just wanted to know if now that we're together it would feel different. And it did for me; it kind of made me tingle all over." Blaine explained, "plus, the fact that you've only received two now, and both from me… I just wanted to do that for you."

"It did feel different." Kurt confirmed." It was much better... everything is better now. I just hope I can make you feel the same you made me feel soon. That would also be a first..."

"A first?"

"I've always thought that relationships should be a give and take. And I respected Jamie's wishes not to do that to me, but I wasn't going to be such an idiot and do it to him, so..." Kurt shrugged.

"I see." Blaine thought about it with a frown, "so outside of just the basics, what have you tried?"

"Practically... nothing." Kurt confessed. "Ugh, I feel stupid. I'm 25 years old, I shouldn't have to tell my boyfriend that my sexual experience is embarrassing."

"Don't be embarrassed, I'm not going to laugh at you...I find it incredibly hot that I get to be the first to do things to you." Blaine told him with a grin.

Kurt laughed, wrapping his arms around Blaine tighter.

"You'll have to be patient. I'll probably have to practice many times to perfect my technique."

"Oh, I'm fine with you practicing on me, darling." He said as he melted against Kurt with a relaxed and easy smile.

"I love you." Kurt said, stroking up and down Blaine's arm with his fingers. "This right now, you and me under a blanket on the couch surrounded by candles, it's also a first... it's the first time that someone takes so much trouble to make me happy. You know, I was scared that the universe would decide for me, that a higher power told me who I should love, but I was wrong. The universe may want us to be together, but it didn't make me fall in love with you... that was all your fault."

Blaine turned his face up to gaze at him with soft eyes and a smile in place. 

"I think I may have developed feelings for you when we decorated for Finn's birthday." Blaine admitted, "you were so sassy and didn't back down at telling me off. I liked that."

He laughed lightly, and followed the path Kurt's fingers were making so that he could grasp and hold them in his own, threading their fingers together.

"And after our night together, I knew I had to do everything I possibly could to keep you in my life. And this love...it feels incredible."

Kurt leaned in to kiss Blaine's forehead. 

"I should have realized that same day. Now I understand that it wasn't because of the alcohol... I would have never left the party with another person, I would have never done what I did with anyone else. I'm not saying it was okay, but it brought me to this, to being able to hold you in my arms, so I couldn't regret it less."

"No regrets anymore. We're together now, and whatever happened before, it's all in the past." Blaine said with conviction in his voice, "we're lucky. I just want to believe that the universe brought us together because we needed to save each other from our lives, because we weren't happy."

"You're probably right. But we're happy now..." Kurt giggled when Blaine tried to hide a yawn with his hand, "and we're tired. Let's blow out all these candles and go to bed. We'll clean the dishes tomorrow."

Blaine nodded sleepily and they both got up to blow out the candles and turn off the fake ones before Blaine took Kurt's hand and led him to his bedroom. Blaine's room was just as Kurt remembered it, but there was a slight difference: a small collage of pictures from when they went to the High Line for a date was on a board on the wall.

"You made a collage with our pictures." Kurt said, more a thought out loud than something directed at Blaine. "Do you remember what you said earlier, about whether this was too much?"

Blaine looked at him worried for a moment, until Kurt smiled. 

"I have the one on the right framed on my nightstand." He confessed. "I was right, we're just as cheesy."

Blaine chuckled as he looked at the pictures, and then pulled the covers down so that he and Kurt could get in bed, and he smiled as he lay down.

"I love those pictures, and I love being cheesy with you." He said as he closed his eyes and sighed softly, "some of the best nights of my life have been spent with you."

"Same here." Kurt got in bed and snuggled quickly next to Blaine, seeking his body heat as if they had been separated for days rather than seconds. "Thanks for another perfect night." He whispered, kissing Blaine's shoulder lightly.

Blaine tried to speak around another yawn.

"Perfec...night...fr...perfet... boyfend."

He giggled lightly at how ridiculous that sounded, but Kurt would probably understand it. 

"I love you." Blaine said normally, and leaned his head against Kurt's, "good night, Kurt."

Kurt chuckled before closing his eyes, realizing how tired he was.

"I love you too. Good night, baby."


	23. Chapter 23

When Kurt woke up, the first thing he registered was a smell. A smell that was becoming more and more familiar to him and that made him smile immediately. Blaine.

He opened his eyes and saw that he was completely curled up on his boyfriend. Blaine was lying on his back and Kurt had his face practically buried in his neck and his arm around his waist. And he believed that he was someone who needed his own space to sleep...

Careful not to wake Blaine, who was sleeping peacefully, Kurt moved his head just enough to take a look around the room. It wasn't the first time he slept there, but it was the first time he slept there with his boyfriend. Somehow, it seemed different from that day that he slept alone while Blaine was on the couch, and even more different from that first night...

Waking up in the middle of the night, feeling guilty and dirty. Running to the bathroom to vomit. Picking up the clothes carefully and leaving with hardly looking back. Blaine waking up alone.

He hadn't experienced the latter, but just thinking about it made Kurt feel tears in his eyes. How could he have done something so terrible? Kurt hugged Blaine a little tighter, as if he wanted to reward him for that.

But his boyfriend had said it the night before, it was time to stop thinking about that. No more regrets. Everything they had done had led them to where they were now, to be together and happy. Nothing else mattered.

A little calmer, Kurt began to caress Blaine with the hand that had previously been firmly gripping his waist. Through Blaine's thin clothes, Kurt could feel the firm muscles of his chest, his flat stomach, his...

Kurt froze, and a giggle escaped his lips.

"Well, good morning, sir." He whispered, knowing that Blaine couldn't hear him.

It was clear that sleeping together had a physical effect on both of them. That's when Kurt had an idea. The night before, they had talked about first times, about Kurt's little experience and he had joked himself about his need to practice... why not start now?

Kurt slid slowly across the bed. He pulled up Blaine's shirt a little, and ran his nose and lips across the bare skin, always a very subtle brushing while his gaze stayed on his boyfriend's face, making sure that Blaine was still asleep.

Then, very slowly, Kurt reached inside Blaine's pants and boxers, grabbing his erection and pulling it out. He heard a whisper in a low voice. Blaine shifted a bit, but he was still asleep. Kurt laughed, and brought his mouth close to Blaine's cock. He didn't want to give him a blowjob while he slept; he wanted Blaine to be wide awake when that happened, but he did run his lips down the length, giving little kisses from the base to the tip, before he started moving his hand up and down, very gently.

"Kurt?"

Kurt raised his head. Wow, it seemed like someone was starting to wake up, and was looking at him with eyes still swollen from sleep.

"Morning, baby." He replied as he kept moving his hand.

When he reached the tip, his thumb stroked it carefully before sliding back down. Kurt bit his lower lip as he studied Blaine's expression.

Blaine's confused sleepy face melted into pleasure, mouth dropping open as he began to breathe a little harder, eyes drooping slightly behind thick lashes.

"Oh, god..." He said as he shivered at Kurt's touch, gasping and moaning at the sensation as he put his head back down on his pillow, "you...that feels so good."

"Yeah? Do you like it?" Kurt climbed up until his face was on Blaine's exposed throat, and began to kiss and nibble the skin, as his hand picked up a bit more speed, tightening his fingers around Blaine.

"Fuck...it's amazing..." Blaine gasped out as he wrapped his arms around Kurt's back, digging his fingers into the muscles beneath his vest lightly while pushing his hips up into Kurt's touch.

Kurt ran his tongue up Blaine's neck once more until he came up to his lips and kissed him hard. His hand kept pace with Blaine's thrusts, turning his wrist at certain points to give him more pleasure, and according to Blaine's moans that were drowned by his mouth on his, he was getting it right.

Blaine groaned loudly into Kurt's mouth as Kurt sped up his hand once more, and with about three more thrusts of his hips, he could feel the beginning of his orgasm approaching fast. 

The tingles ran down his spine and through his legs, making his thighs shake. 

"Ah! Kurt...I'm gonna come..." He told his boyfriend through a gasping voice.

Kurt sped up his hand a bit more and leaned into Blaine's ear. 

"Come for me, baby." He whispered.

"Fuck, fuck....ah, Kurt!" Blaine's head snapped back into his pillow as he came, mouth open in a moan and eyes slammed shut, splashing Kurt's fingers and his own stomach. 

Kurt held him through it, and slight shivers ran down his arms as he still had a grasp of Kurt's back in his hands.

Kurt didn't take his sight off of Blaine's face for a second. His expression when he came... god, he wanted to see him like that every day. 

When Blaine opened his eyes again and looked at him, Kurt brought his hand to his mouth and licked his fingers, cleaning them one by one, smiling when he finished. 

"Mmm... I love your taste." He said as Blaine stared at him open-mouthed. 

He kissed the corner of Blaine's mouth and went to the bathroom to get a wet towel to wipe Blaine.

Blaine was still lying in the same position when Kurt got back, just watching him with wide eyes.

Kurt put the towel down on the nightstand when Blaine's stomach was clean again. He put all of Blaine's clothes back in place, and snuggled up next to him. 

"Did you sleep well, baby?" He asked, looking at him innocently, as if nothing had happened.

Blaine was still staring at him for a minute before his numb brain kicked back into gear, and he smiled widely. 

"Perfectly. And what a way to wake up." He said happily, "you're incredible, sweetheart."

Kurt chuckled as he nuzzled Blaine's shoulder. 

"It was either that or bringing you breakfast in bed, and I didn't feel like getting up." He smirked, but then he looked Blaine in the eye. "Did you really like it?"

"I loved it...you know, this is the first time that someone else has woken me up like that. Plus, it's only been my hand since we were together that night." Blaine answered with his own smirk, turning over onto his side so that he could look at Kurt properly and holding his head up on his hand, "so yeah, it was great. And I love you."

"I love you too." Kurt leaned up to kiss Blaine, pressing his lips gently. "I'm glad to know that we had another first together."

Blaine smiled and leaned in for another kiss, longer and lingering this time. The press of his lips on Kurt's was a sensation he just couldn't get enough of; he would kiss him all day if he could. 

As he pulled away, he raised his other hand and stroked Kurt's cheek lightly. 

"And we'll have many more firsts together, I guarantee it."

"Good. That's all I want." Kurt kissed Blaine's hand and smiled. He was simply and purely happy. 

Then he sighed and moved to get off the bed. 

"I make breakfast and you pick up the dishes from last night. Deal?"

Blaine grabbed him and pulled him back down, and as Kurt laughed as he flopped back down into the mattress, Blaine smiled and leaned over him. 

"The thing is, having you in my bed right now, and after longing for it for so long, I can't really let you get up yet." He explained, and with a smile still on his face, he leaned down to kiss Kurt again, but this was a little deeper. 

He parted Kurt's lips with his tongue so that he could give him a really deep and passionate kiss. His hands framed Kurt's face, and he moved his legs on either side of Kurt's hips and settled on him.

Kurt moaned as Blaine's tongue pushed inside his mouth. One of his hands got lost in his favorite place, Blaine's curls, and the other ran down Blaine's back until he reached his ass, where he squeezed the muscle above the fabric of Blaine's pants.

Blaine groaned as his hands moved to the back of Kurt's neck, and using the light grip he had, he tilted Kurt's head up a little more so that he could push his tongue into Kurt's mouth deeper.

Kurt used his hands to pull Blaine against his body, until their chests were completely glued. 

It was then that he raised his hips slightly to grind against Blaine.

Blaine pulled his lips away a little, a trail of saliva connecting their mouths for a second before it broke as he spoke. 

"Are you sure?" He asked as his eyes darkened with want.

Kurt nodded confidently as his eyes stared at Blaine's lips, silently asking his boyfriend to kiss him again and not stop.

So Blaine did, he leaned back in and kissed him like he was before, this time grinding his hips down against Kurt whenever his boyfriend pushed them up against him.

They went on like this for a few minutes, just devouring each other's mouths as they grinded at a steady pace. Kurt tugged on Blaine's hair, stroking his scalp with his fingertips as his other hand lost all shame and slipped under Blaine's underwear to touch his ass without any clothes in between.

One of Blaine's hands left Kurt's neck to slide over his collarbone and underneath the top of the vest, resting on Kurt's chest as his thumb flicked a nipple, playing with it as they continued to kiss and grind.

Kurt winced at Blaine's touch, and his moan got drowned in the middle of a kiss as his fingers dug into the cheek of Blaine's ass.

Blaine grinded his hips down a little harder into Kurt's as the moans that Kurt was making into his mouth made pleasure spark low in his stomach. He pulled his mouth away slowly to move underneath Kurt's chin and start sucking little marks over his Adam's apple.

"Oh, baby... I love you." Kurt cried out as he threw his head back so Blaine's mouth had more room for ministrations. "And I want you." He added, grinding his hips up again.

"Mmm, I want you too..." Blaine mumbled against his throat and took his hand away from Kurt's chest and ran it up through Kurt's hair, tugging on it gently to tilt his head back even more. "You taste delicious...I love you."

"Blaine, this is… oh my..." Kurt cried out.

"I've got you, beautiful, I've got you." Blaine moaned out as their hips started grinding faster, and he buried his face back in the side of Kurt's neck, leaving little nips and licks along it. 

He was so close already, but he needed Kurt to come first.

Kurt grinded his hips up faster, seeking as much contact as possible because he was just about to come. His head was cloudy and all his skin tingled at the same time. It was really intense. 

Then he moved his arms and wrapped them around Blaine's back, as tightly as he could. 

"I love you, I love you so much." He almost growled.

Blaine's hands pushed himself up, with Kurt still holding him, and he sat them both up a little and moved his hands down to the small of Kurt's back to keep their contact close. Then he moved his legs and gasped as their erections rubbed a little harder together. 

"Wrap your legs around me, baby...tight." He said breathlessly as he reached the edge, trying to hold off so that he could concentrate on Kurt getting there.

Kurt did as he was asked and wrapped his legs around Blaine. The contact was even stronger that way, and after placing his arms on Blaine's shoulders to feel steadier, he grinded up and down a few times until he couldn't hold it anymore. 

He screamed as the orgasm shook him, reaching every pore of his skin before he dropped his head onto the crook of Blaine's neck.

Blaine's entire body tensed at Kurt's scream, and the sound reverberated through him and shot right down to his groin, which resulted in a following yell and orgasm of his own. 

"Holy shit...Kurt, I fucking love you so much..." He said with a short almost breathless little giggle as he held Kurt's trembling body against him tighter.

Kurt still didn't have the strength to speak. His mind was still off, he could only feel. Blaine's voice, his touch, his scent... all of him. 

He gently kissed Blaine's neck as his legs relaxed their wrap a bit, though they didn't let Blaine go entirely. Just like the night before, at that moment Kurt needed him close.

Blaine sat up a little more, pulling his legs up and crossing them underneath Kurt, so that Kurt's butt was in the middle of them. He sat comfortably while catching his breath, bringing both of his hands up Kurt's back slowly. One hand buried itself in the back of Kurt's hair gently, running his fingers through the strands, and the other arm wrapped protectively around Kurt's waist, keeping him secure against him.

After a couple of minutes, Kurt finally raised his head and looked intently at Blaine. His hazel eyes seemed brighter than ever and his smile split his face in two, mirroring Kurt's happy face. 

"And to think I was going to go make breakfast and miss this..." He laughed, leaning in to kiss the tip of Blaine's nose and then his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." Blaine replied softly, bringing both of his hands back down to Kurt's hips, where the vest had ridden up slightly and his fingers could stroke along the exposed skin on both sides. "So, after two amazing orgasms in less than…" he glanced at the clock on the nightstand, "12 hours, why don't you go have a shower while I whip up some pancakes and coffee for us?"

"Okay." Kurt said, holding back the urge to ask Blaine to have a shower together. In his mind, they would just be under the hot water together, but he knew his body would probably try something else. He felt insatiable when it came to Blaine. 

He leaned on Blaine's shoulders to get up, wincing when he noticed his pants uncomfortably sticky in the crotch area. 

"I'll be back soon." He said, reaching down to give Blaine one last kiss before heading to the bathroom.

Blaine watched him go with what felt like a love sick expression. He sighed as he placed his chin on one hand propped against his knee. 

His boyfriend was equal parts adorable and smoking hot, Blaine couldn't believe someone like Kurt was his one true love. 

He reluctantly got up, cringing as he moved because of the mess he had made in his shorts. Quickly shucking off them and his underwear, Blaine wiped himself with the damp towel again and put some clean underwear on.

He made his way to the kitchen, taking his phone with him, and smiled as he got out the ingredients for his lemon blueberry pancakes. He loved those pancakes, it was the only thing he could make from scratch without a recipe or a guide. 

He set to work making a plate of them for Kurt first, while also starting his coffee machine. 

He thought about how it was before Kurt. Blaine had claimed to everyone that met him or knew him that he was happy with his life, but now that he thought about it thoroughly, he realized that he was just settling into a lifestyle that he felt like he needed, but he really didn't. 

His sister, even though he hated to admit it, had been right for years about him not being made to sleep with most of the male population, but after spending years doing it, it was the only way Blaine knew how to deal with his loneliness. 

Now he had Kurt. 

That made his smile spread wider across his face. Every time he thought of Kurt, it made him warm inside. This pure feeling of being complete, of being so happy and contented was just amazing. 

Blaine never thought it would feel this intense and this right, but it did. From the very first time he felt it to now, it had only grown stronger. 

He made a happy little dance while he was making pancakes, singing to himself the only song that seemed appropriate right now. 

"Because I'm happy  
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof..."

He was still singing as he poured the coffee 5 minutes later.

Kurt got out of the shower wrapped in a towel. He hadn't washed his hair, he had only wet it a bit, and now it fell wildly on his forehead. 

He stripped off the towel and dried his body properly before opening his bag and pulling out some clean boxers, along with tight black pants and a green t-shirt. He decided to stay barefoot while he was there. 

As Kurt approached the kitchen, he heard Blaine sing, and he could only smile. Not only was he happier than ever and felt a constant feeling of warmth inside his chest, but he knew he was making Blaine happy, and that made him want to jump, and dance, and scream to the world how wonderful his life was. 

He silently peeked into the kitchen. He didn't mean to interrupt Blaine, but he didn't want to miss the show. Blaine was setting two cups of coffee on the table, singing and shaking his hips at the same time, and Kurt thought he was totally cute. 

He stared at Blaine until he couldn't take it anymore and walked into the kitchen, taking advantage of the fact that Blaine had his hands free to jump on him. He wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck and kissed his lips repeatedly, lots of little kisses one after the other.

Blaine grinned into each little kiss, and laughed happily. 

"Hey, darling, welcome back. Good shower?" He asked as he wrapped his own arms around Kurt.

"Yeah, I needed it. Even if I feel like a room without a roof." He giggled, raising his eyebrows.

A small blush erupted on Blaine's face, and he chuckled. 

"Oh, you heard that, huh?"

"I did." Kurt admitted, stroking the back of Blaine's neck with his fingers. "But you don't have to blush. Your voice is wonderful, and I love that you feel that way."

"Well, your voice is much better than mine." Blaine said as he nuzzled the end of his nose with Kurt's, "anyway, come sit down and eat. I made my special pancakes for you."

"You should stop spoiling me so much." Kurt smiled at him as he sat up, staring at the pancakes with greedy eyes. "I'd say dating you is going to make me fat, but we burned a few calories a while ago."

"Oh, you can stand to put a bit of weight on. I don't care, I would still love you." Blaine said with a cheeky smile, "besides, these pancakes are actually made without sugar, so they aren't that fattening."

"Without sugar? My hero!" Kurt said, putting a hand to his chest dramatically. 

He took a sip of his coffee and glanced at Blaine as he sat down next to him. 

"You know, I feel strangely comfortable in your apartment."

Blaine swallowed a mouthful of coffee before grinning. 

"Well, I feel comfortable with you here too." He answered as he reached for Kurt's hand, threading their fingers together, "do we have any plans today? Or are we spending the day inside?"

Kurt chewed on a piece of pancake and moaned softly at how good it was. 

"My only plan is to spend the day with you. We could go out for lunch, if you want. I only know the Italian restaurant we went to with the guys and a Japanese one, but we're close to Central Park, there must be some good places around here." He suggested.

"Yeah, there are a couple of good restaurants that I've been to." Blaine responded in between bites of pancake, "and I would love to spend the day with you."

"Won't you get tired of my face?" Kurt joked, reaching out to wipe a piece of pancake that had stuck to Blaine's lip.

Blaine nipped Kurt's finger as it lingered on his lip and grinned. 

"I'll never get tired of your face."

His phone buzzed on the counter where he had left it, but he ignored it.

"You can answer if you want." Kurt said, rubbing his finger as if Blaine had hurt him.

"Sorry," Blaine said looking at Kurt rubbing his finger, "was that too hard?" He reached back for his phone and placed it on the table top for a second while he still looked at Kurt.

"Yes, you should give my thumb a kiss to heal." Kurt pouted at him, spreading his finger and looking curiously at Blaine's phone.

Blaine leaned over and kissed the tip of Kurt's finger sweetly, and then smiled at him as he took his phone in hand and checked it. It was a text from Dylan. 

\- Hey, sweetness, how's things going over there in the Big Apple? XD -

He snorted a little as he turned the screen to show Kurt.

"Don't ignore Dylan." Kurt scolded him, though he laughed and took a piece of his pancake and offered it to Blaine. "I will feed you while you answer him."

Blaine chuckled a little as he took the piece of pancake and chewed as he sent a message back. 

\- All good here. How's things over there in Virgin Country? lol -

"Did they know we had a date this weekend?" Kurt asked, eating the last piece of pancake and taking a sip of his coffee.

"Yes, I asked Dylan if he had any ideas for a spectacular date." Blaine said with a grin. "I wanted to do something special for you, just like you did for me."

His phone buzzed again in his hand, and Blaine read the reply.

\- All good here too, baby. So did the date go well? Did you get any action? XP -

Blaine rolled his eyes and turned the phone to Kurt again so that he could read it.

"Just what I thought, someone wants to gossip." Kurt laughed. "And it's adorable that you wanted to do something special for me, thank you." He leaned in to kiss Blaine's cheek. "You can tell them that I'm here. They are your friends, I don't care."

"Watch this." Blaine said with a grin before putting on his best acting serious face, and he did look even a little grumpy as he pressed the video call button on Dylan's number.

Kurt looked at him curiously, leaning back in his chair as he waited to see what was going to happen.

Dylan's voice suddenly filled the kitchen. 

"Look at you!" Dylan said in a cheerful tone, though that changed quickly, probably when he saw Blaine's serious expression. "Oh, babe, what happened? Didn't the date go well?"

It was hard for Blaine to remain stone-faced as Dylan asked because, in fact, they had so much fun last night, but he wanted to leave his friend stewing.

"Yeah, we had fun. It was a good choice, Dylan, thank you." Blaine said, but he still had a slight down look on his face.

Kurt had to hold back a laugh so as not to ruin whatever Blaine was doing. 

"So why are you looking at me like someone died and it was my fault?" Dylan asked.

"Because... Dyl, you don't have to tease me about sex, alright?" Blaine said with a grumpy voice, "just because me and Kurt are taking things slowly, it doesn't mean I'm going to jump on him every time I see him."

"Wow, Mr. Sensitive, it was a joke, calm down. Maybe if you had done something, you would be in a better mood..." Dylan teased him.

"Yeah, good one, Dyl." Blaine carried on with his fake moodiness. "You also know I'm not a morning person, so why on earth would you make my already sour mood even worse?"

"Oh gosh, I didn't text you at dawn. The other day you asked us for advice with the date, yesterday I shared my recipes with you, so I think I deserve a little information." Dylan said, adding a sigh at the end.

Blaine flicked his gaze over the top of the phone for just half a second before looking back down, and he moved one hand behind the phone and beckoned Kurt over where Dylan couldn't see the movement.

"Well, you know some things are supposed to be kept private, Dyl. I don't go asking about all of your sinful trysts with Nate." Blaine said as his grumpy face evened into a neutral one.

Kurt got up from his chair, careful not to make a noise, and walked over to Blaine, hiding behind him so Dylan wouldn't see him. 

"Oh, if you're curious, I can give you all the naughty details you want. Maybe you would learn something." Dylan laughed.

"No, thank you, Dyl," Blaine actually laughed this time, unable now to keep a straight face. "I don't need any of those details."

That's when Kurt came out from behind Blaine, resting his forearms on the back of the chair and grinning at Dylan. 

"Good morning, Dyl." He greeted the blonde guy.

"Kurt!" Dylan screamed, making Kurt chuckle with his shocked expression. "Hi, beautiful! So you've been there the whole time while your silly boyfriend was messing with me?" 

"He's not silly." Kurt defended him, kissing Blaine's cheek lovingly. 

"Oh, you two... you have that look on your pretty faces..." Dylan smirked like he had found out something.

"What look?" Blaine asked innocently as he turned to Kurt. "What's he talking about? Do you have that look?"

"I have no idea. Do you see something strange on my face?" Kurt asked, glancing at Blaine as he moved his head in front of him so he could see him from all angles.

"No, your face is perfect, beautiful as always." Blaine grinned at him, completely ignoring Dylan right now on purpose.

"No, baby, you're more beautiful." Kurt wrinkled his nose as he stuck out his tongue. 

"Please, stop it and get a room. You're adorable, though." Dylan smiled at them, turning his head. "Wait, someone just got out of the shower. Baby, come here!"

"Coming!" A voice said from somewhere behind Dylan, and then Nate came into view with just a towel around his waist, before he realized that Dylan had a video call going and then he moved out of shot, "babe, seriously?"

"Come on, sweetheart, it's Blaine and Kurt! They won't see anything that scares them. And you're so hot with just that towel." Dylan chuckled, making Blaine and Kurt laugh too.

"Dyl, maybe I'm not comfortable with anyone else seeing me naked." Nate reappeared on screen with some boxer shorts and a t-shirt on, and gave Blaine and Kurt a wave. "Hey."

"Hey, Nate. Nice nipple ring, I never thought a teacher would hide something like that under his shirt." Kurt said with a giggle, causing Blaine to burst out laughing.

"I remember when he got that." Blaine laughed with glee, and as he tried to explain to Kurt, Nate shouted "no!" through the screen, and Blaine shut his mouth and pouted at Nate.

"Blaine, don't you dare." Nate warned, and Blaine put his hands up in surrender.

"Alright."

"You know he's going to tell me as soon as we end the call, right? I know how to make him talk." Kurt stated with a proud smile. 

"They've done dirty things." Dylan explained to Nate.

Nate's face turned a little surprised.

"Oh, good for you, guys." He said with a smile, and Blaine grinned proudly.

"We haven't done anything dirty." Kurt complained, though he was really trying to hide a smile.

"No, definitely not dirty." Blaine agreed with a nod, as he looked at his boyfriend. "We just did what anybody in love would do, right?"

Before Kurt could answer, Dylan gave a yell that startled Nate. 

"Did you say 'in love'?" He cried out.

Blaine only grinned wider as he still looked at Kurt while Dylan squealed excitedly.

Kurt leaned in to kiss Blaine before turning back to the screen. 

"I guess I love this guy." He laughed, blushing a little. 

"Ugh, I want to hug you both so tight right now." Dylan said before looking at Nate. "Can we go there to hug them?"

"Dylan, baby, by the time we got there, it would be time to come home again." Nate soothed in a gentle voice, "besides, we have work tomorrow."

Blaine smiled at them both. 

"Hey, maybe you guys could come and stay the weekend in 2 weeks?"

"Yes!" Dylan said, holding Nate's hand enthusiastically. "We can go, right, honey? I seriously need to hug Kurt!" 

Kurt chuckled at Blaine's shocked expression.

"I see." Blaine grumped with a pout, "you're just replacing me with Kurt, I see how it is."

"I'm not doing that." Dylan replied. "But he's the one making you happy, so the first hug will be for him." 

Kurt moved to sit on Blaine's lap. 

"Don't listen to him, Dylan, he has to learn that he can't always win." He said, but kissed Blaine's temple while he smiled. 

Blaine pouted at Kurt and faked a hurt look, giving him the best puppy eyes ever.

"So the only time I won was when I won your heart, then forever after I'll be a loser?"

Kurt looked at him, feeling how Blaine's words and those beautiful eyes melt his insides completely. 

"Oh, you're not a loser, baby. Remember that you have my heart and I have yours, who needs more?" He put his arms around Blaine and nuzzled his neck, forgetting for a moment that Dylan and Nate were still watching them. 

"You guys are the cutest thing ever." Dylan stated, resting his head on Nate's shoulder.

"That was cheesy." Blaine said with a grin and a nod, "but very much appreciated."

"Please, don't be the kind of guy who pretends in front of his friends. We can be a lot cheesier." Kurt looked at the screen and smiled.

Nate turned to Dylan on the screen. 

"Yeah, they're sickeningly sweet. I think I need a dentist appointment." He said, and Blaine and Kurt both laughed. 

"Aren't you happy for me, Nate?" Blaine asked with a sweet smile at the phone.

Nate only snorted and rolled his eyes.

"We're so happy for you, babe, but Nate's still sulking because Kurt has seen his nipple ring." Dylan joked. 

"Nate, I promise not to bring it up again." Kurt assured him. "By the way, does it never get caught on your clothes? Because that would hurt."

"No, it doesn't get caught on anything." Nate explained, "it's quite safe right where it is."

"Safe, Nate? Is it safe?" Blaine asked in a knowing way, teasing his best friend, "doesn't get caught on anything, huh?"

"Blaine...don't." Nate warned as Blaine and Dylan both laughed.

"I want to know." Now it was Kurt who used his eyes against Blaine, fluttering his lashes as he played with a couple of Blaine's curls.

Blaine smiled at him and then Dylan nudged Nate. 

"He's one of us now, Nate. He's got a right to know." Blaine said with a shrug.

"Fine, but after the call, okay?" Nate said with a frown, "I don't like reliving it."

"How dramatic, honey." Dylan chuckled before looking back at his friends. "So you've been together since last night. Are you going to do something today, or are you going to spend the day on top of each other in bed?"

Kurt blushed and looked at Blaine. The truth is that if it were up to him, he would stay the rest of the day sitting on Blaine's lap.

"We're not animals, Dyl, you pervert." Blaine said as he spied Kurt's red face, "we're going to do more romantic things together, and if we do end up in bed, it will be none of your business." He stuck his tongue out. "Now excuse us, but we need to get back to our wonderful time together before work tomorrow." 

Blaine waved them away, and Kurt did the same before saying 'goodbye'.

"That was... interesting." Kurt giggled. "But I'm very grateful that they accepted me so well since the beginning. I don't know what I'd do if they didn't like me for you."

"They would just have to get used to having you around." Blaine said seriously, "if they didn't like you, it wouldn't matter, because I love you."

"I know, but I also know their opinion is so important to you, especially Nate's." Kurt reluctantly got up off Blaine's lap, and began to clear the table.

Blaine smiled softly as he watched him and then got up to stand right behind him, wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist and leaning in to whisper against his ear. 

"I don't think it would have been a problem for Nate." He told him. "You, my love, are totally his type."

"What?" Kurt laughed in surprise as he leaned a little on Blaine's chest. "Have you seen Dylan? We're nothing alike."

"I know." Blaine grinned, "they're complete polar opposites. Nate's more serious and calm, and Dylan's like a whirlwind. They're perfect soulmates."

He chuckled. 

"But the type Nate went for in college included lots of guys that were tall, slim and had an incredible style."

"Well, I'm glad Nate found Dylan, because he wouldn't have a chance with me. I'm so happy with what I have." Kurt turned around so he could look at Blaine. "Even though right now I need you to give me some space so I can fill the dishwasher, baby." He teased.

Blaine let him go reluctantly, smiling at him. 

"I need to go and have a shower, anyway." He said as he moved to put some of the plates and pans into the dishwasher with Kurt, "make yourself at home, baby, I'll be right back." 

He leaned in to give Kurt a kiss on the cheek before walking to the bathroom.

When Blaine left, Kurt took care of filling the dishwasher with all the dirty dishes, including the ones that had been left on the living room coffee table the night before. 

As soon as he put it to work, he decided to go to the bedroom to get his phone. He hadn't checked it since they got to Blaine's last evening, which was a sign that he was having an amazing time. He saw that he had a couple of messages from Camille, saying that on Tuesday she wanted to invite him and Blaine for drinks after work to celebrate her 5 years at the magazine. Kurt decided to give his friend something to think about. 

\- As soon as he gets out of the shower, I'll ask him ;) See you tomorrow x - 

He laughed before reading the rest of the texts he had, most of them from his dad and Finn, and when he finished, he started moving around the apartment. 

What he had said to Blaine when he got out of the shower was true, he felt very comfortable there. He had never felt that way at Jamie's place, but it was time to realize that what he had now was what he had truly waited for his entire life, not a relationship to cling just to have someone to spend time with. 

Kurt went to the living room and flopped down on the couch with a satisfied smile on his face. That couch and Blaine kneeling between his legs would forever have an important place on his mind. 

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't hear Blaine get out of the shower.

Blaine was still trying to dry his curls with a towel when he reappeared from the bathroom, and he grinned as he spotted Kurt relaxing on the couch. 

He didn't really want to disturb his peace and quiet, but he couldn't really stand apart from him when he was right there and they were alone. 

"You look very relaxed and happy." He said as he walked over and looked down at Kurt's face from behind the couch.

Kurt's eyes snapped open, and he felt heat on his cheeks. 

"I was thinking of you, that's why." He confessed.

"Is my couch bringing back some good memories?" Blaine smirked as he wrapped the towel loosely over his shoulders before leaning on his arms on the back of the couch.

"Do you read minds now? Being a mind reader would make you more money than being a graphic designer." Kurt laughed as he placed his arms under his neck, making himself even more comfortable.

"It's only your mind I can read, darling." Blaine said as he leaned over the back of the couch to nuzzle his nose against Kurt's lightly.

"Well, don't try to distract me despite how good you smell right now… I want to know Nate's story." Kurt asked, pursing his lips.

"Oh, you'll like this one." Blaine said as he then flipped himself over the back of the couch and landed with his head resting on Kurt's thigh and looking up at him. "Hi."

Kurt chuckled as he immediately started stroking Blaine's still wet hair with one hand. 

"Hey you, handsome."

"So, Nate was 21 when he got his nipple pierced. I was supposed to go with him but I chickened out, so he went alone." Blaine started explaining with a small smile on his face as Kurt's fingers were combing through his hair. "It healed up okay, and we went on as normal. But..." 

He paused to laugh. 

"I think it was like a month later. I was tired, I had been out with Dylan and we were still staying in the dorms at this time, so I got back to mine, not expecting Nate to be there… but he was, and not alone."

"Uh, this is getting good. We'll talk about that you were about to do it too later, but now keep going."

"Okay. So obviously these guys were naked, and I felt awkward and apologized and turned to leave, when Nate told me to stop and help them, 'cause they were stuck." Blaine giggled again as he thought about it, "at first, I didn't really know what was happening, I thought he was talking about someone's dick being stuck...which is impossible, obviously, but then I noticed that this guy was face down on Nate's chest and was grunting in pain, so I went over."

Kurt burst out laughing, and the vibration of his laughter made Blaine's head bounce on his legs. 

"No way." He managed to say.

"Turns out, as they started having sex, this guy decided it would be a good idea to lick Nate's pierced nipple with his pierced tongue, which had a bar through it, and the bar went through the hole and they were stuck. They had been trying to separate themselves for 20 minutes until it was much too painful because neither of them could see where exactly the piercings were connected." Blaine laughed as much as Kurt as he tried to tell the end of the tale, "so I had to spend about half an hour trying to figure out how to undo Nate's nipple ring while this guy was drooling everywhere because he couldn't close his mouth. Sad to say they didn't hook up again and I didn't see that guy around campus anymore."

Kurt laughed for a few more minutes imagining the scene, especially picturing his boyfriend trying to separate those two naked guys. 

"I love hearing these stories from your college days. Will you tell me more?" Kurt asked, bringing his free hand up to Blaine's face and pinching the tip of his nose with two fingers.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know. I have a few more, what do you want to know?" Blaine smiled and looked up at him curiously.

Kurt was tempted to ask all kinds of questions, but he realized that he was in no rush to find out anything specific. He just wanted to know all about Blaine, it didn't matter how or when he decided to tell him. 

"Tell me what you feel like sharing with me, love. I want to know everything."

"I don't think I told you the time I was staying with Nate and Dylan after the assault...and they nearly split up over me?" Blaine said a little nervously, and Kurt's fingers paused in their movement through his hair, "it wasn't like what you're thinking."

Kurt looked at him curiously and a little concerned. 

"Okay. I really want to hear that one."

"It wasn't anything to do with me, actually, but it was the first big fight they had while they were together." Blaine explained and looked up at Kurt with warm eyes, "I told you about them dating once Nate left college, right?"

"Yes, you did." Kurt replied, his fingers stroking Blaine's curls again.

"I had my own place then and Nate had his, so they dated for a year while Dylan was still in college, and when Dyl graduated, he moved in with Nate." Blaine carried on with a nod, "and they were doing great, until all this shit happened with me, and I moved in with them." 

He paused a little and closed his eyes. 

"Basically, Dylan is this super caring, friendly, over the top touchy feely kind of guy, so when I moved in, he was the one that was always hugging me and making sure I was okay. I didn't think much of it at first, because that's just how he was. What I didn't count on was Nate becoming jealous of Dyl's attention being solely focused on me."

Kurt smiled at him, finally understanding what this story was about. 

"So even though you were his best friend and Dylan was his soulmate, Nate felt replaced." He muttered.

"Yeah, he did. He tried not to let it bother him at first, because I was going through shit and they both wanted to be there for me." Blaine said with a smile, "Nate is the best friend I've ever had, he was the one that brought me out of the dark place I was in before, but the way Dyl was with me...I think the stress of that plus worrying about me and everything else just got to him."

"I get it. I don't know Nate much, but I think he sometimes keeps his feelings to himself so he doesn't worry others... until he explodes."

Blaine laughed without any humor in his voice. 

"And explode he did." He said, "I had never, ever, seen them fight like that...it was awful."

"And he only took it with Dylan, or did he take it with you too?" Kurt asked, grabbing one of Blaine's hands that were resting on his stomach and intertwining their fingers.

"No, no, he never said anything to me...it was all them." Blaine said with a sad smile, "in all the years I had spent in college with Nate, I had never seen that much anger. Nate stormed out after they both said things to each other that they didn't mean...and Dylan cried a lot."

He paused and squeezed Kurt's fingers.

"Sometimes, people who love each other feel overwhelmed and have arguments that get a little out of control." Kurt raised an eyebrow and looked at Blaine with a small smile. "But I feel sorry for them. They obviously adore one another, and the thought of Dylan crying really breaks my heart."

"Yeah, I almost cried with him. I mean, my best friends in the entire world had just broken each other's hearts...it was sad." Blaine admitted, "I felt for them." 

He looked up into Kurt's eyes and smiled. 

"So after Dylan went to bed, I had to think of something to get them both back together. It took a few days, but eventually I made a plan with both of them to meet me for lunch at the very first coffee shop where they had their first date in."

"So they sorted things out because of you? Oh, baby, I'm a proud boyfriend." Kurt brought their clasped hands to his lips to kiss Blaine's knuckles.

"Well, when Nate walked in, it looked like he hadn't slept in days. His eyes were puffy and red, and Dylan only had to look at him once before throwing his arms around him and apologizing over and over again." Blaine smiled as he remembered sitting in the coffee shop watching the scene unfold, "Nate apologized too, and the smiles that they both had made me feel so good inside. It was meant to be, it always was."

"They really are. But that teaches us that love isn't enough; relationships take a lot of care and communication." Kurt explained.

"Exactly, which is why we're doing so well." Blaine pursed his lips up at Kurt, waiting for a kiss.

Kurt smirked before leaning over Blaine and giving him a soft kiss. 

"You know a day will come when we argue, don't you? Right now, it's all smiles and cuddles, but it won't always be so easy..." He said, and made a worried face at it.

"I know we will. Relationships are like that, but I can promise that whatever we fight about, even if any of us leave to cool down...I'll always come back to apologize and fix it." Blaine said seriously.

"You just promised, you can't back down when it happens." Kurt laughed. "The truth is that I've always been a bit spiteful, but I do apologize to people I really care about." He admitted as he played with Blaine's fingers.

"You can be spiteful, and I can be an asshole...whatever happens, we'll fix it." Blaine said with a smile, lifting one hand and rubbing his knuckles across one of Kurt's cheeks lightly. "How about I tell you a happier little tale from college?"

"Yes, please." Kurt asked with a big smile on his face again.

"Okay, so there were a lot of parties in college." Blaine smirked, "and I always got an invitation to everyone." 

Blaine paused as he saw the look on Kurt's face, and he frowned a little. 

"Oh, no, I'm not bragging, it's just what it was like." He added, "anyway, I was at this party across town, and I had forgotten I had an important exam the next day."

"So I used to spend the night before an exam without sleeping so I could study more, and you spent it drinking and doing god knows what... how did we end up together?" Kurt shook his head, but he laughed to show Blaine that he didn't mind. "Okay, what happened?"

"You know I told you about when I first met Dylan and how much I didn't like him. Well, I had called Nate in a panic, as I tried to make it back to college in time, but he couldn't do anything about it because he had a test of his own." Blaine explained, "I was so ashamed and I felt so awful that I was going to miss this exam that was like half of my passing grade for design. When I got to the front doors, I had already missed the start of it, but Dylan was waiting for me outside."

"Aw, and he helped you." Kurt guessed.

"Well, I glared at him as he smiled at me and waved, and I went to walk past him when he told me he had taken care of it." Blaine laughed, "I asked what exactly he had taken care of, and he told me that Nate called him and asked him to go to my professor and make up some excuse about why I couldn't take the exam. He told the professor that I had a family emergency and then he rescheduled it for the following week."

He laughed as he recalled hugging Dylan. 

"That was the very first time that I really began to like him. After that, it was easy to grow our friendship. He saved my ass."

"Dylan is amazing." Kurt smiled affectionately. "Doing something like that for someone who doesn't like you shows a great heart." He looked Blaine in the eye. "I'm so glad you have them. They're really good people and love you a lot."

"And now they love you too." Blaine said with a grin.

Kurt absently stroked Blaine's stomach over his shirt. 

"You know, when we had the big fight and I texted Dylan to try and contact you, he told me that he not only cared about you, and that I could talk to him if I needed to. He had seen me once, and I was the one who had hurt his friend. It's incredible."

"I did wonder why they wanted to see if I was alright." Blaine grinned up at him, "Dylan and Nate both knew how much I care about you, and how much you were struggling. It was easy for them to care about your feelings, because you're a good person too, Kurt."

"I think I've never been so open and I find it difficult to trust, so I appreciate that they've made things so easy for me. You know how to choose people, Anderson, and I'm not saying it just for me." Kurt smiled a bit.

"I think your trust goes both ways, honey. I trust you completely, so I think it's what makes it so easy for you to trust me and open up to me." Blaine said a little empathetically, "you've finally been given the chance to be yourself with someone."

"Okay, sit up. I need to kiss you after that and I can't do it the way I want without breaking my back." Kurt asked, biting his lower lip.

Blaine chuckled giddily before sitting up and turning around so that he was facing Kurt. 

"So kiss me, baby." He said as he waited.

Kurt placed one of his hands on the back of Blaine's neck and drew him until their mouthes touched. He easily slid his lips between Blaine's, pressing his tongue lightly until Blaine gave him access to his mouth as he wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist. 

They kissed for a few minutes, delighting in each other, until Kurt began to slide a hand down Blaine's chest, and although Blaine let out a moan when Kurt gently brushed his nipple, Kurt pulled away laughing. 

"Sorry." He said, giggling as he tried to catch his breath. "I just remembered that you didn't tell me what nipple you were thinking of getting pierced before you flinched."

"Erm..." Blaine's mind took a minute to get back into gear, "the right one, I think."

"My, my..." Kurt then brought his hand to Blaine's right nipple, rubbing it through the fabric of his shirt. "I think I like the way it is."

Blaine moaned at the touch as Kurt started to circle around his nipple. 

"It would have been more sensitive if I had gotten it pierced." He said around a slight gasp, "that's what Nate said."

"Even more?" Kurt couldn't resist and leaned down to bite it lightly. 

The growl that came from Blaine's throat after that made Kurt smile proudly. 

"I think we should go for a walk and then find a place to eat, or this couch is going to be associated with more naughty memories."

"That sounds like a good idea, but first..." Blaine said as his own head dipped down and he bit Kurt's nipple through his shirt gently, and then shot him a grin as he groaned, "payback." 

He jumped off the couch as Kurt glared at him, and then laughed all the way to his bedroom to grab some socks and his sneakers to go out.

Kurt chuckled and followed Blaine into the bedroom, where he began to search inside his bag for some clean socks. 

"By the way, I didn't tell you but Camille invited us for a drink on Tuesday after work. Is that okay?" He asked.

Blaine smiled over at him as he sat on the bed to put his own socks on. 

"Of course it's okay. Didn't I tell you I wanted to get to know all of your friends?"

"I know you told me, but I don't like to take anything for granted. And... maybe I wanted to show off a little and told her you were in the shower, so if she doesn't tomorrow, on Tuesday she'll definitely ask us a lot of prying questions." Kurt sat on the bed next to Blaine to put on his socks and boots.

"Take anything for granted?" Blaine asked curiously as he gave Kurt a pointed look. 

He got up a little frustrated and bent down on his knees in front of Kurt, taking his hand in his.

"Kurt, you know how I feel about you, right?"

"Of course I know, Blaine." Kurt answered quickly, cupping Blaine's cheek with his hand. "But being together doesn't mean you have to indulge me with everything. You're going to meet my parents next weekend, and it means a lot to me. I just want you to tell me if you ever feel like not doing something."

"Kurt, baby, say it out loud to me, what do I feel for you?" Blaine continued seriously, staring Kurt in the eyes unwaveringly.

"You love me." Kurt said in a small voice, suddenly feeling emotional by the intensity of Blaine's gaze.

Blaine nodded with a small smile. 

"Yeah, that's right. And what do you feel for me?"

"I love you." Kurt smiled as he said it.

"Yeah, you do." Blaine smiled wider as his eyes shone at the words, but he kept his gaze steady on Kurt's, "and did you or didn't you agree to meet my friends before we were a thing?"

"Yeah, I did, but just because I really wanted to and..." Kurt paused for a moment, realizing what Blaine was trying to do. "And because it was important to you."

"Exactly." Blaine smiled at him as he knew that Kurt had understood what he was getting at, "baby, when I say I want to do something, it means I really do. I promised to tell you when I was uncomfortable, but I'm a social person, I love meeting people. I'm not like Jamie…you'll have to stop comparing me to that dickwad at some point." Blaine laughed so that Kurt would know he was teasing with the last sentence.

Kurt smiled and rolled his eyes before leaning in to hug Blaine. 

"I'm sorry. I hate to seem so insecure. I just need to know that if one day you don't want to do something, you'll tell me."

"I will, I promise." Blaine hugged him back and placed small kisses on his cheek, "now are you going to stop asking me if I'm sure and come to have lunch with me?"

"Yes, I am." Kurt pulled away, but before Blaine could get up, he held his face with both hands and kissed him. "I love you so much." He whispered on his lips.

"And I love you." Blaine replied before standing and holding out his hand for Kurt.


	24. Chapter 24

After taking a walk through Central Park, a place that had never attracted much of Kurt's attention but now he loved thanks to Blaine, they ended up eating at a small vegan restaurant. Blaine made a funny face when Kurt proposed it, and tried to convince him to go to the Italian place they went with Nate and Dylan instead, but after a pout and a few kisses, Kurt convinced him, and they ended up sharing a quinoa salad and a veggie omelette that they both actually enjoyed. 

When they finished eating, Kurt decided it was time to go home. Blaine knew that if he had insisted just a little, he would have made Kurt spend the night with him and get up early the next day so he could go to his apartment to change clothes, but he didn't. They had to start the week and go to work well rested, and with Kurt in his bed, it was hard for Blaine to think only about sleeping, especially now that they had started to make physical progress. So he drove Kurt home and they said 'goodbye' with a kiss and an 'I love you' that left both of them sighing. 

Monday came, and by the time Kurt got to work, he had lost count of how many times he had read the message Blaine had sent him shortly after waking up. 

\- Good morning, darling. I dreamed of you last night... I prefer not to tell you what exactly, because I know that you blush easily. Can't wait to see you today. Oh, I almost forgot, I love you <3 -

Kurt's response hadn't been long in coming. 

\- Good morning, baby. I hope you tell me about your dream at some point, and if you behave yourself, maybe I can make it come true. See you soon. Oh, and I love you too xx - 

They met in the hall, where they kept up appearances as always. They just smiled and brushed their hands in the elevator. 

At lunchtime, Blaine sat with his 3rd floor group because they all had a meeting afterwards and were in a hurry, and Kurt winked when Blaine looked at him ruefully to make him see that he understood. 

After all, they had spent the weekend together, and the week had just begun.

Tuesday went much of the same way as Monday. They exchanged cute messages in the morning and still greeted each other professionally at work around others. 

One slight difference was Kurt sending Blaine a message just before lunch to come up and kiss him before they walked to the lunch room together, which Blaine loved.

Kurt's kisses were incredible, but they had to keep it a little chaste because they couldn't do anything else at work. They happily walked side by side to lunch, and spent time together chatting away over the lunch table.

Camille hugged both of them, and she actually didn't ask any inappropriate questions, which did surprise Kurt, since he had expected a proper interrogation. But when she left the lunch room with a wink back at Kurt, he knew that she was saving all of her questions for after work. 

Kurt gave Blaine a kiss out by his car, and told him that he would take a taxi over to his apartment later that night, so they would walk together to have drinks with Camille. That way, both of them could have fun and drink without driving back home. 

Blaine agreed, but inside he was a little worried. Kurt had always been a little bit touchy with Blaine drinking alcohol, and Camille had wanted to meet them at a cocktail bar.

A few hours later, Blaine was wearing a dark purple shirt and dark blue jeans with a lot of rips across the thighs, showing off some skin. He thought it might be a good outfit for a cocktail bar, but not too much, and he still looked decent enough to be on Kurt's arm.

It was already 7:15pm when he looked at the clock, and realized Kurt would be there any minute.

Just seconds later, the doorbell rang. When Blaine opened it, Kurt was looking at him with a wide grin, though Blaine couldn't help his gaze drifting down to his black shirt and tight gray pants.

"Oh, darling, you look amazing." Blaine commented as he eyed his boyfriend up and down, licking his bottom lip a little, "I sure hope nobody tries to steal you from me tonight."

"Well, if they try, they're going to fail miserably." Kurt closed the distance between them to kiss Blaine, lingering on his lips a bit before pulling away. "Hi, baby. I like your jeans."

Blaine smiled gently. 

"Thanks. You don't think it's too much, huh?" He asked as he twirled around for Kurt.

"Too much hot? Yeah, probably. But I promise to keep my hands to myself." Kurt laughed. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm ready." He said in reply placing a kiss on Kurt's cheek, and then taking his hand as they walked out of his door and out of the building together.

It took them about 20 minutes to get to the bar where they would meet Camille. Along the way, they mostly talked about work. Blaine was so happy because Jonathan had congratulated him on his latest project, and Kurt squeezed his hand as he told him how proud he was of him. 

Next thing they knew, they had arrived at the bar and Camille greeted them excitedly. 

"There are my favourite guys!" She exclaimed. "It still hurts me that you two are gay."

"Hey, honey, don't you look great!" Blaine said as he gave her a hug, planting a kiss on her cheek, "congrats on your 5 years."

"Thank you, cutie pie!" Camille turned around to show her black dress with little white flowers before hugging Kurt. "Kurtie, I'm so glad you came." 

"We wouldn't have missed it." Kurt looked at Blaine when she let him go. "My life in the magazine would have been much more difficult if it hadn't been for this lady." 

"Don't exaggerate." She said, but smiled fondly at him as she took them both by the hand. "Come on, the drinks are waiting for us." 

The three of them entered the cocktail bar. There weren't many people in there, so they had no problem finding an empty table. When they sat down, Camille smirked at them. 

"I want to know all the details of your weekend, but I'm sure alcohol will help you talk. The first two rounds will be on me, so what do you want to drink?"

"Erm...soda for me, please, honey." Blaine said as he glanced at Kurt a little, and then gave Camille a smile, "just to start with."

Kurt looked at Blaine a little confused, and Camille caught the exchange of glances between them. 

"You know what? I'm going to the restroom." She said. "I have to pee, so take your time to decide." 

Without further ado, she got up from the table and went to ask the waiter where the restroom was. As soon as they were alone, Kurt looked at Blaine again and took his hand over the table. 

"Blaine, is everything okay?" He asked.

"Everything's fine." Blaine replied as he smiled at Kurt and brought his hand up to his lips to kiss it, "just being careful."

"Careful?" Kurt asked again, with a small smile this time. "This is because you think I don't like you to drink, right?"

"I just...don't want to do anything embarrassing. You know how I get when I'm drunk, Kurt."

Blaine stared at their joined hands, and Kurt sighed. 

"Look at me, baby." Kurt asked in a soft voice.

Blaine flicked his gaze up nervously, giving Kurt a tight smile.

"I don't want you to take refuge in drinking if things go wrong. I don't want you to spend another weekend at home alone drinking non-stop, and I don't want you to go out down the street without being able to walk properly, because you can get hurt again. And you know why I don't want any of this? Because I love you and care about you." Kurt explained, looking lovingly at Blaine as he stroked his hand. "But that doesn't mean you can't have a drink once in a while. I get the feeling that you think you'll disappoint me if you do, but you won't."

"I mean...I don't think it, I do know that my drinking does disappoint you, baby." Blaine said as he looked back down at their hands again, playing around with Kurt's fingers, "it's not that I can't drink while we are out, but I just don't want to see that look on your face again."

"Honey, that day there were empty bottles everywhere and your face was bruised, I was worried as hell. But that's not going to happen again, you're not like that anymore." Kurt told him. "If you prefer not to drink, I'm totally okay with that, but you're never going to disappoint me. I'm too proud of who you are for that to happen."

Blaine smiled to himself before looking up at Kurt with shining eyes. 

"Really?" He asked curiously, "you won't think less of me if I get drunk tonight?"

"Of course not. I'm going to be by your side all the time... and it wouldn't be the first time we get drunk together." Kurt smirked at him, but soon his expression turned softer and he leaned in to kiss his boyfriend's cheek. "Relax, baby. I'm not taking my eyes off you... those pants leave me no choice." He added, trying to make Blaine laugh.

Blaine did laugh, happily, and leaned in to seal their lips together for a little longer, and as Kurt continued laughing through the kisses, he placed little ones all over his cheek and chin. 

Just then, Camille returned to their table with a smile as she watched them kiss and laugh together.

"Okay, if I'm interrupting something, I can go back to the restroom, or you guys can go there, whatever you want." She suggested, and Kurt nudged her. 

"Don't be gross, Cami. I'll have a mojito, by the way." 

"Good. How about you, Blainey?" She asked with a smile.

"Sex on the beach." Blaine said with a cheeky grin, as he turned a smirk to Kurt, "which I haven't done...yet."

Kurt blushed a little, but he didn't take his eyes off Blaine. 

"Noted." He whispered. 

"I'm so alone and so jealous. I'm going to get our drinks, try not to make out on the table in the meantime." Camille got up again and approached the same waiter as before, who greeted her with a grin. Kurt saw that and smiled. 

"What do you think about the waiter?" He asked Blaine.

"Hmm… nice face, nice ass, but there's something weird about his eyes." Blaine responded cheekily.

"When did you look at his ass?" Kurt asked with an unfriendly face.

Blaine laughed. 

"I didn't." He looked at Kurt with a soft smile, "did you really think I would check out another man's ass when I have you to look at?"

"Nice try". Kurt laughed as he tickled Blaine in his side. "I'd like Camille to meet someone. She's crazy, but she's wonderful too."

Blaine grinned and watched Camille as she was still talking and smiling at the waiter. 

"She's not crazy; she's just independent and knows what she wants." Blaine said with a smile as he watched her, "but I don't think the waiter she's talking to is the one for her."

"Any straight friends we can introduce to her?" Kurt asked Blaine, who shrugged just as she returned to the table. 

"Andy will bring us the drinks now." She informed them, a big smile in her face. 

"Andy, huh? Do you already call each other by name?" Kurt asked with wide eyes.

"Shut up, Hummel." Camille said before looking at Blaine. "Honey, tell me how was your weekend. Your scoundrel boyfriend texted me and didn't bother to read my reply until hours later."

"Did you want details, babe? Because I don't think Kurt would want me to share everything." Blaine shot Kurt a cheeky grin.

"That's why I'm asking you and not him." She replied. 

"Tell her what you want. After seeing your best friend almost naked on video call, I think it's only fair." Kurt waved his hand dismissively. 

"Excuse me? Almost naked friend? What kind of party did you have?" Camille asked in a shrill voice.

"Well, our little party this weekend did include a video call to my best friends, one of whom came to the phone with just a towel covering his waist." Blaine told her with a grin, "and Kurt ended up getting a great view of his nipple ring." 

As Camille giggled and looked between them, Blaine chuckled with her. 

"Sad to say I don't have one, but me and Kurt did get up to some very sexy things on Saturday night...and Sunday morning." He gave her a naughty grin just as the waiter came up to the table with their drinks. 

"Mojito?" Andy asked as he looked at them all with a smile.

"It's for me, thank you." Kurt said, picking up the drink and quickly sipping it.

"Sex on the beach?" He said next, and Blaine put his hand up to grab his drink.

"That's mine, thank you." He said politely, and then Andy turned to Camille with a smile.

"So the Martini must be for the lady." He said as he handed it to her carefully.

"Her name is Camille." Blaine said to the waiter, "isn't she gorgeous?"

Kurt held back a laugh as Camille glared at Blaine. 

"Yeah. The one who can't be quiet is my friend Blaine, and this is his boyfriend Kurt. Never go to a bar with a couple, they'll try and get rid of you." Camille blurted out, placing her drink in front of her. "Thanks, Andy."

"You're welcome, Camille. Enjoy the drinks, just wave at me when you guys need a refill." He said and, with a blush and a smile, he walked away to see if other customers needed more drinks. 

Blaine smiled at Camille. 

"We won't try and get rid of you, but maybe we could help you get a date." He winked at her.

"Who told you I need help, pretty eyes?" She chuckled. "And I think we were talking about your sexy things." 

"Blaine and I had a great time and got to know each other a little more... intimately. That's all you'll get, gossip girl." Kurt stated, looking at Andy as he left. "Not bad, but I prefer yours, baby." 

"Are you talking about the waiter's ass?" Camille asked.

"Now that was unfair. I joked about it, but you actually did look at his ass." Blaine laughed, obviously not bothered by it, "shame on you, Kurt Hummel, shame on you. Objectifying other men and not me." 

He grinned teasingly as he winked over at Kurt, before taking a sip of his drink.

"I said I prefer yours!" Kurt defended himself. "Come here." 

When Blaine got closer, Kurt gave him a quick kiss, and licked his lips after that. "Sex on the beach is pretty good." 

"You shouldn't say that in public, sweetie." Camille giggled as she reached for her glass. "A toast, guys. To friendship." 

"To friendship." Kurt repeated.

"To friendship and hot asses!" Blaine said a little loudly as he clinked glasses with them both.

The three of them burst out laughing, and immediately began to speak. Camille and Blaine asked each other a lot of questions, honestly interested in getting to know one another better, and Kurt looked at them happily as he intervened from time to time. 

Thus came the second round of drinks, and the third one. By then, the bar was already quite crowded, and the music was louder than when they arrived, inviting people to dance. 

At that moment, Blaine stood up and held out one hand to Kurt and his other one to Camille. 

"I think we should dance." He told them both with a smile, "come on, you two gorgeous creatures. Let's take our hot butts to the dance floor."

Kurt was going to protest, but Camille quickly grabbed onto Blaine and then there were two hands pulling on him. 

"I don't dance in bars." Kurt complained as Blaine and Camille led him onto the dance floor.

"Well, now you do, baby." Blaine said as he grinded up against him before spinning Camille around and then pulling her towards them, placing her in the middle as she giggled, "come on, this is for the lady, after all."

When he saw that he had lost the battle, Kurt sighed but started to move his hips to the beat of the music, and Camille screamed excitedly as she jumped in front of them. 

"This is a moment in history, I'd never gotten Kurt to dance with me." She exclaimed. 

"Enjoy it, Cami, it's a one time thing." Kurt answered with a giggle.

Blaine stepped a bit closer so that he was right up against Camille's back and leaned over her shoulder to Kurt. 

"If I have anything to say about it, this won't be a one time thing." He said as he danced up against Camille, wrapping one arm around her and reaching out to put one hand on Kurt's waist, forcing them to dance a little closer.

"Don't push your luck, baby, you've already made me dance more than anyone in my life." Kurt said to Blaine. 

He got even closer to Camille, who kept laughing and yelling that she was dancing with the two most handsome guys in there. 

"Martini's are getting to your head, girl." Kurt laughed, turning around and grabbing onto Camille's waist again.

Camille made a noise of surprise and then giggled as Blaine grinded behind her, and then his hands left her waist and went to Kurt's, rubbing his thumbs over the sides as he smiled at his boyfriend over Camille's shoulder. 

"I think the drinks are getting to everyone." He said with a laugh.

"Not me, I'm perfectly fine." Kurt assured, despite the fact that Blaine's fingers were sending sparks of electricity throughout his body every time he touched him. 

"If one of you starts to grope me, I'll send you home in a taxi." Camille moved to put her arms around Blaine. "And this is mostly for you, the man who toasts to hot asses."

"You're gorgeous, but I'm afraid that the man behind you pulls my focus all the time." Blaine told her even as he pulled her closer while dancing, throwing a wink over at Kurt, before beckoning him closer with his fingers.

"I think I may be a bit drunk if you two are blatantly flirting with me in the middle and I don't even care." Camille giggled. 

"I don't know what you're talking about. You're the ones who forced me to do this." Kurt replied to his friend, although he was actually staring at Blaine.

Blaine raised one eyebrow with a smirk on his lips. 

"Not forcing you to stay here, though." He said a little flirty.

"Oh, do you want me to go?" Kurt asked as he wrapped his arm around Camille's waist, deliberately touching Blaine's stomach as he did.

Blaine grinned as he took one of Camille's arms from around his neck and spun her around gently, folding her arms over Kurt's shoulders and pushing her to dance with him, while his hands reached further around them and went to Kurt's hips, so that his fingers were touching his ass a little. 

"I think she would miss this too much if you left, babe." Blaine told him.

"Okay, guys, I love you but you're making me horny and for what? Nothing. So I'm going to get another drink. Behave, please." Camille gave Kurt a kiss on the cheek and he pulled away so she could walk toward the bar. 

Kurt didn't lose sight of her until she got there, making sure she was sober enough. 

"I think we should stop her after that drink. We have to work tomorrow." He said.

"Yeah, we probably should. But I think we've danced some of it off." Blaine turned to him with a grin, before putting his own arms around Kurt's waist, "so now that we're alone, would you dance with me?" 

He had a fake little pout on his lips as he gave Kurt puppy eyes, pulling him a little closer.

"Stop using those eyes against me." Kurt complained, but immediately wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck until their chests were pressed together.

Blaine pecked a kiss to his lips. 

"Well, once they stop working, I won't use them anymore." He said as he began to put his hips closer to Kurt's, moving to the rhythm of the song that just came on.

Kurt laughed but he actually got carried away. Blaine's arms around his waist were guiding him so they both were moving at the same time, and Kurt couldn't help but nuzzle Blaine's neck with a giggle. 

"I have to say, dancing in bars isn't that bad."

"Not when you have a good dance partner." Blaine whispered to him as he started moving a little dirtier, grinding against him a bit before turning around and wrapping Kurt's arms around his waist as he put his up behind Kurt's neck. 

He lost himself in the feel of Kurt's body behind his, and pushed his hips back to the rhythm of the music, feeling Kurt's face bury itself into his neck as the arms around him tightened their grip.

Kurt wasn't listening to the music anymore, just the beating of his heart pumping in his ears. He was trying to remind himself that they were surrounded by people so they had to keep a cool head, but Blaine was dancing against him in a way that made him feel dizzy, and it had nothing to do with alcohol. 

Kurt pressed himself even closer to Blaine's back, aware that his crotch was rubbing against Blaine's ass, and he had to bite his lower lip to keep from moaning.

When Blaine leaned back and lightly tugged on Kurt's hair, Camille reappeared in front of them. 

"Guys, I have his number! Andy bought me a shot and gave me his number!" She screamed over the music.

Blaine's eyes, that had slid closed while dancing with Kurt, snapped open as she screeched, and he and Kurt reluctantly parted as he smiled at her. 

"That's great! You didn't need our help after all." Blaine said with a kind smile, although he knew why Kurt was still standing behind him trying to cool himself down.

Kurt put his best smile on his face for his friend, but the reality was that he had got lost too much in the moment, and in Blaine, and he was having a hard time thinking when most of his blood was focused on a part of his body that wasn't his brain. He needed some fresh air. 

"Now that Cami succeeded, why don't we go home, guys?"

"What do you say, Camille? I think you've had a great celebration tonight!" Blaine said with a wide smile as he hugged her, before turning to give Kurt a grin, "we should all go home because we have work tomorrow."

"Okay, yeah, we can go." Camille stood between Kurt and Blaine, entwining her arms with theirs. 

As they stepped outside, the gentle night breeze hit them in their faces. 

"It was an amazing night, sweethearts. And I may have a date with a very hot guy after months of loneliness." She said, letting them go quickly when she saw a taxi turn the corner. "You let the lady take her ride first, right?" She gestured to the driver and the taxi stopped in front of them. “You guys are the best, I love you.” She blew them lots of kisses before getting in the car.

Blaine waved her off with a big smile before turning a knowing look to Kurt. 

"Have your problem gone away yet?" He asked with a smirk on his face.

"Don't make fun of me." Kurt hit him on the shoulder. "You started rubbing your ass against me, what did you expect?"

"Oh, I expected exactly that, why did you think I did it?" Blaine leaned into him with a cheeky smile, one that Kurt had to kiss.

And he did it. Kurt practically jumped on Blaine, his lips devouring Blaine's as his hands tangled in his curls.

Blaine moaned into Kurt's mouth as he parted his lips for a very insistent tongue, which wrapped around his own. 

He moved his arms over Kurt's shoulders, crossing them behind his neck and pulling himself up on his toes, closer, letting Kurt have whatever he wanted as he melted into his passionate embrace.

Kurt ran his tongue and teeth over every part of Blaine's mouth, licking and biting for some time until he sucked Blaine's lower lip into his mouth and let it go very slowly. 

Then, he rested his forehead on Blaine's, breathing heavily. 

"I need... to get home... and take a... cold shower." He panted.

Blaine tightened his arms around him momentarily, wanting to ask Kurt to come back to his place, and torn between his feeling of wanting to do everything right now and wanting to wait for the right time. 

He didn't know what to do. He felt desperate, breathing heavily and willing Kurt to kiss him again, but he was silent as they breathed. 

But the yearning for his soulmate didn't go away as they stood still, arms around each other. He opened his mouth to speak before closing it again, a few times. 

Blaine's gaze dropped as he felt frustration build in his head. He didn't know what to say, or how to say it.

"I..." He tried again, but still nothing would come out.

Kurt looked at him closely, knowing exactly what he was thinking. 

"Baby..." He started, making Blaine look him in the eye. "I want it too, more than anything, but... not like this, not after drinking. When it happens for the first time, I want to wake up cuddling you and not having to rush to work, okay?"

Blaine nodded quickly. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to squash the disappointment, because Kurt wasn't rejecting him, he knew that. 

He blamed the alcohol in his system for making him confused and needy. Or maybe it was love too; maybe that was a factor now. 

He shook his head as his eyes stung a little, and blew out a breath before unravelling his arms from Kurt's neck with shaky hesitation, because he felt like it was letting go of his tether to the ground. 

"I don't know what's wrong with me..." He said with a laugh that sounded sad, "I'm sorry."

"Honey, come here." Now it was Kurt who held onto Blaine, because he knew it was what his soulmate needed, and he didn't want to give up his warmth either. 

He filled Blaine's neck with kisses, soft and tender this time. He pulled away a couple of minutes later, just so he could cup Blaine's face with his hands. 

"I love you." He told him in a low but clear voice.

Blaine sighed as he pushed himself back into Kurt's arms, needing the cuddles most of all, and burying his face into Kurt's shirt, he breathed him in, which calmed him down a little inside. 

"I love you too." He replied in a mumble against Kurt's chest.

Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine, and then he didn't care that it was late, he didn't mind knowing that tomorrow he would be in a bad mood from lack of sleep... he could stay in the middle of the street hugging Blaine for hours if it was what he needed.

Blaine squished his nose against Kurt's chest, chasing the scent of him. He calmed down more the longer he held onto Kurt; he didn't really want to let him go, but he felt a little embarrassed about doing this. 

He couldn't find any reason for what he was feeling right now, but he felt vulnerable and open, raw. 

His face heated up as embarrassment flooded his system, and he pulled away with a red face.

"Baby, why are you blushing?" Kurt asked, his hands still on the back of Blaine's neck.

"I'm embarrassed." He said honestly, and gave Kurt a shrug.

"But you have no reason to be embarrassed." Kurt said as he devoutly kissed his forehead.

"Yeah, I do. I'm getting upset for no reason." Blaine placed one hand on his face and dragged it down, "maybe it's the drink, I don't know."

Kurt cupped Blaine's face in his hands again to make sure he was looking at him. 

"Do you need us to sleep together tonight? I don't want to let you go, either."

"No. You have to go home, Kurt, we have work tomorrow. You don't have any of your things in my apartment, I don't want to make you late." Blaine said quickly. 

Even though his entire being was telling him to go home with Kurt, he didn't want to be that guy. He didn't want to be needy.

"Okay." Kurt looked around and, luckily, he saw a taxi appear at the end of the street. He released Blaine just long enough to go to the road and stop the vehicle, and then he went to Blaine again. "Now we're going to your apartment. We're going to sleep together, and I'm sure you have some clothes that you can lend me tomorrow. We'll manage for a day, okay? Come on, the taxi is waiting for us."

Blaine pulled on Kurt's hand a little, and it made him stop and turn around. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to be the guy that gets clingy." He explained through his frustration.

Kurt smiled at him, trying to make that smile convey all the love he felt for him.

"You're not clingy, Blaine. You need me just like I need you, and I'm not leaving you alone tonight. Please, my love."

"Okay." Blaine said in a small voice and let Kurt take him to the taxi, giving the driver Blaine's address and then getting inside.

The taxi ride only took 5 minutes, but Kurt looked at his boyfriend worriedly all the way, never letting go of Blaine's hand, who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

Kurt paid the driver as Blaine stepped forward to open the doorway. As soon as Kurt got to his side, Blaine turned to look at him.

"You don't have to..." 

"Come on, I need to get in there and hug you right now." Kurt cut him off, and Blaine gave him a small smile. 

They stepped silently into the elevator, and neither of them said anything until they entered the apartment and Blaine closed the door. 

Then, Blaine barely had time to drop the keys before Kurt grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him up to his chest, firmly wrapping his arms around his neck. 

"I'm here with you." He whispered.

"I'm sorry, Kurt, for dragging you here." Blaine mumbled against his neck, melting into his arms for a moment and heaving a big sigh.

"You didn't do that." Kurt replied quickly, stroking Blaine's back with his hands to comfort him.

"Well, I'm sorry you felt like you had to because your boyfriend is a mess." Blaine chuckled darkly to himself.

"Okay, sir, let's talk about this right now." Kurt pulled away so he could take Blaine's hand and lead him to the couch. 

When they sat down, Kurt placed their joined hands on his lap and turned to his side so he could look at Blaine. 

"I'm gonna ask you not to talk about my boyfriend like that, because I love him so much." He smiled when he saw Blaine laugh, but then he got serious again. "What happened to you when we left the bar? And I want you to be honest."

Blaine looked down at their hands, nervously biting his lip before looking back up into Kurt's eyes, giving him a genuine smile. 

"I don't really know how to explain it. I just got overwhelmed by the dancing and that kiss, I guess...and the alcohol didn't help. I wanted you so badly...I wanted to ask you to come back to mine, I wanted to have sex with you." He said honestly, moving one hand from underneath Kurt's to run it through his hair, a sign of stress for Blaine, "but then I remembered how much we wanted to do things the normal way, and a crushing disappointment came out of nowhere. I got frustrated that I couldn't get the words out, and then became angry at myself and embarrassed for getting so upset."

At the end, he shrugged a little and looked back down.

Kurt reached to place a hand on the back of Blaine's neck and caressed it carefully. 

"We lost control a little, both of us. If Cami hadn't turned up telling us about the waiter, I think I would have dragged you to the restroom." He laughed a bit sheepishly before speaking again. "The kiss was too much, I should have contained myself, but you're not the only one who feels overwhelmed. I want you so bad, and I also wanted to have sex with you tonight, but... after the kiss, I told you that our first time should be different, but you and I already had sex, and we were drunk and I panicked before we could wake up together. My point is that I want the next time to be different, because it will be our first real time, since we're together now and love each other. But I need you to talk to me, baby. If you wanted to be with me, you have to tell me; I would never think less of you for that."

"I know. I know you wouldn't think I was clingy, but I would feel like it." Blaine nodded, "I did feel like it, and I didn't want to force you to be with me because I can't control my feelings." 

He chuckled a little. 

"I want our first real time to be wonderful and full of love. I want it to be special." He added as he smiled up at Kurt again, "you mean too much to me for us to do it right now. I want it to be like a moment we can look back on and talk about, something we can remember forever."

"I want that too. And look… on Sunday, you told me that when you didn't want to do something, you would tell me. Okay, I promise you the same, and I assure you that I wouldn't be here now if I didn't want to. You can't be afraid of being vulnerable with me, Blaine. There will be days when I need your hugs and kisses more than usual, and I trust you'll be there for me, won't you?" Kurt asked, reaching up to Blaine's curls and stroking them.

"Of course I will." Blaine gave him a smile and reached a hand up to Kurt's face, caressing his cheek as he leaned in to kiss his lips gently.

"Good." Kurt smiled and kissed Blaine one more time. "Then I need you to tell me when that happens to you too, okay?" 

Blaine nodded, but when he tried to speak, Kurt put a finger on his lips to silence him. 

"And I don't know when it will happen... hopefully soon, but our first real time will be amazing. I've been waiting for you all my life, so I guess I can wait a few more days." He added, looking at Blaine with bright eyes.

Blaine sighed and shook his head with a smile. 

"You know, you always call me the perfect boyfriend, but I don't think I am. That title is already taken by you, darling." He said as he stared at Kurt's eyes, melting inside again with the way Kurt was looking at him. "Have I ever told you that I love your eyes?"

"Really? That's so funny, because I love yours." Kurt put his arms around Blaine as he kissed him. The moment of heat had passed, and now they were all sweet and tender kisses, the ones that warmed them inside. "Shall we go to sleep?" He asked, kissing the tip of Blaine's nose.

"Yeah, we need to." Blaine said in a whisper against Kurt's lips, pecking them with his own one last time before getting up and helping Kurt up from the couch, "we need to get up early."

When they got to the bedroom, Blaine quickly removed the comforter, and he saw Kurt go to his closet and open a drawer to pull out a t-shirt. 

When Kurt felt Blaine's gaze on him, he realized that perhaps he had taken too much liberties and stopped for a second. 

"Sorry, I didn't even ask you. Do you mind if I wear your t-shirt to sleep?"

"Of course I don't mind. I'll love you to wear one of my t-shirts, but be warned… I may not wash it anymore after." Blaine chuckled as he replied, watching Kurt roll his eyes and smile at him.

"Well, you should, because the shower will have to wait until tomorrow morning. Right now I just need to sleep with you." 

Kurt undressed quickly and he saw Blaine do the same. It was progress that they both felt comfortable doing that, not just embarrassed. Kurt got into bed just in his underwear and Blaine's t-shirt, and he opened his arms towards his boyfriend, who as soon as he put on a t-shirt and shorts went to snuggle up next to him. 

"I didn't expect to end the night hugging you to sleep, but it's been a pleasant surprise." Kurt murmured, brushing Blaine's hair with his lips.

"Can I be little spoon? I feel like I need it tonight." Blaine asked sleepily, yawning into his hand.

"Absolutely, baby." 

Kurt waited for Blaine to roll onto his side to do the same, pressing lightly against Blaine's back and wrapping his arm around his waist. 

"Are you okay now?" He asked softly in his ear.

"Almost. Can you hold me a little tighter?" Blaine asked with a soft voice, and as Kurt's arm wrapped tighter around his waist, he sighed against his pillow, "perfect. Good night, darling."

"Good night, baby. Sweet dreams."


	25. Chapter 25

Blaine woke up feeling safe and warm, and he didn't want to open his eyes. He could smell Kurt's scent around him, and feel him snuggled up against his back. He could also feel the swell of Kurt's erection against his ass, which was a very welcome contact and made him smile. 

He didn't rock back into it, though, as much as his body was aching to do something about it since his own problem was tenting his shorts too. He wouldn't, not now. After last night and his little bit of emotional breakdown, he only needed confort and cuddles. 

It was tempting, but they needed to be up and ready for work soon; it was Wednesday, after all. He groaned as he opened his eyes and was assaulted by some light peeking through his curtains, so he closed them tightly and then opened them again, blinking a little. 

Then Blaine glanced at the clock on the side table, reading 6:50, so he had ten minutes before his alarm was due to go off. He snuggled back into Kurt's body and stayed completely still. He loved waking up in his boyfriend's arms; he had only ever woken up in his best friends' arms before, but this was different. 

Kurt moaned behind him, the vibrations in his chest rumbling through Blaine's back, which was still pressed up against him. Blaine grinned to himself as he felt Kurt's head shift, and then a kiss was placed on the back of his neck and a nose nuzzled into the short curls just above the skin. 

"Morning, baby." Came Kurt's sleep rough voice, and Blaine's erection twitched in his shorts because of that sound. 

"Morning, beautiful." He replied without turning around. 

"Gosh, I wouldn't call myself 'beautiful' after a night out… more like dreadful." Kurt replied with a short rough chuckle, and Blaine closed his eyes tight. 

God, he did love the sound of Kurt's voice in the mornings, all sleep rough and low like a growl. 

"Well, I still think you're beautiful." Blaine answered him and then turned over slowly, making sure to drag his hip over the erection in Kurt's underwear, to which his boyfriend gasped a little but didn't move away. 

He smiled at Kurt as he opened his eyes to look at him. 

"See? I was right." Blaine told him as he brought a hand up to push Kurt's sleep messy hair off of his forehead and then stroked the back of his fingers over his cheek, "beautiful." 

Kurt grinned back. 

"You're too sweet." 

They leaned in at the same time for a kiss. Morning breath could be damned, because Blaine didn't care what they smelt like; he loved soft kisses. Kurt hummed against his lips before pulling away slowly, their bottom lips both dry and sticking together a little. 

They just lay there staring at each other for a while, Blaine making sure to remember every detail of Kurt's morning face, before Kurt pushed himself up into a sitting position, the comforter falling down to his lap. Blaine followed, sitting up and leaning his forehead against Kurt's shoulder. 

"We need to get showered, and I need to find some clothes that fit you." He said as he mouthed Kurt's shoulder through his own t-shirt, "I meant what I said, this t-shirt smells like you now. I'm not going to wash it." 

"Yes, you are." Kurt gave him a smirk as he stretched out his back, "you will wash this t-shirt. If you really want something that smells like me, I'll give you one of my sweaters from home." 

"I would love that." 

"Great." 

Just then, Blaine's alarm clock blared to life, telling them it was 7:00am, and Blaine groaned as he turned around to turn it off. As he turned back to Kurt, his boyfriend's face was right there for another kiss. Kurt moaned and grabbed onto the back of Blaine's curls for a minute before slowly detaching them again. 

"You go and shower first, baby, I'll get some breakfast and coffee sorted out." Kurt said with a smile, as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, "and while I'm in the shower, you can search for some clothes for me to wear." 

"Anything in particular?" Blaine asked as he got out of bed too, walking towards his door while stretching his arms over his head. 

"I spotted a cream sweater in the closet last night, can I take that? It looked very soft." Kurt asked as he stepped into the hallway, and Blaine nodded immediately.

"Of course you can wear it, but I'll have to find some longer pants for you." 

Kurt winked at him and then disappared into the kitchen while Blaine headed for the bathroom. This was domesticity at its finest, and Blaine never wanted it to end, but Kurt would have to go home at some point.

When Kurt walked into the kitchen, the first thing he did was stretch his body properly. He had slept fewer hours than he needed, but he didn't feel tired. He guessed that spooning with Blaine had a positive effect on him. 

As he turned on the coffee pot and put some bread in the toaster, his stomach twisted a little as he remembered the night before. Blaine clinging to him with tear-filled eyes in the middle of the street was an image hard to forget. 

But Kurt decided to keep the bright side of it. After that first impression of being a cocky and confident man, there was a very sensitive soul inside Blaine that needed care and attention, and he was willing to put his arms around him and always be by his side. 

He had to smile at the situation. He was in Blaine's kitchen on a weekday, wearing his t-shirt, making breakfast for both of them before going to work. They had only been dating for two weeks and it seemed like they had already lived several lives together. But Kurt didn't think they were going too fast anymore. He didn't want to go back an inch, he just wanted to continue enjoying what they had and go even further. 

And going even further would include sex. Was he being ridiculous by wanting to make that 'first' time special? No, he knew Blaine wanted the same thing, but when his boyfriend's hot body clung to his, whether it was in a bar or in bed, it was hard to think with his head. But Kurt was sure it would be worth it. 

He set a plate of toast on the table and began to prepare the second one when Blaine appeared in the kitchen, fully dressed and with a smile on his face. 

"You shower really fast in the morning." Kurt said, as Blaine leaned over to kiss his cheek. 

"It usually takes a little longer, but today there are two of us and I don't want to be late." Blaine explained. "You have the cream sweater and some pants that I think might fit you well on the bed. If you don't like them, just tell me. Oh, and some boxers." 

Kurt almost spit out the sip of coffee from his mouth. 

"Do you want me to go to work in your underpants? Baby, we don't have the same size." He pointed. 

"Kurt, please, it's not appropriate for us to talk about sizes right now, you pervert." Blaine laughed when he saw Kurt frown. "You'll survive one day with them. You can always use the ones you're wearing now one more time, or go commando. Oh, I like the last option." 

"You're an idiot." Kurt stuck his tongue out at him. "Okay, I'll take your underwear, thanks." 

He put the coffee mug on the table to go shower, but before leaving the kitchen, Blaine grabbed him by the wrist. 

"Can you leave my t-shirt on the bed when you take it off?" Before Kurt could protest, Blaine pecked his lips and added. "I need something to survive on until you give me one of your sweaters." 

Kurt shook his head, but Blaine saw a huge smile on his face as he got out of the kitchen. God, he loved being in love.

He waited until the water of the shower was turned off before knocking on the door 10 minutes later. 

"Hey, darling, I bought a new pack of toothbrushes last week. They're in the cabinet underneath the sink, you get to choose a color." He called happily through the door.

Just a few seconds later, the bathroom door opened just enough for Kurt to poke his head out of it. 

"So now I'll have my own toothbrush at your place?" He asked with as much excitement as if he had won the lottery.

"Yeah, it saves bringing your own one over every time, and… I'd like you to leave some things at mine. Only if you want to, of course." Blaine smiled at him excitedly, and a little hopeful.

Kurt nodded as he chewed on his lower lip, like he was thinking about it. 

"Well, I think I could do it." He answered, trying to sound nonchalant, but he ended up opening the bathroom door completely, and covered only with a towel around his waist, he threw himself into Blaine's arms.

Blaine let out a surprised 'oomph' noise as he caught Kurt against his chest. His arms wrapped quickly around Kurt's naked waist, still a little damp from the shower, and Kurt's scent hit him. His own shampoo and shower gel smell emanated off of his boyfriend, and Blaine found something slightly sexy in that. 

He laughed and kissed the side of Kurt's neck before unwrapping his arms and pulling back. 

"You know, in the future, I don't think you should hug me in just a towel if you want me to keep myself calm." He smirked at him.

"It's your fault for being adorable, and considerate, and making me happy." Kurt said with a chuckle, heading into the bedroom.

"By offering you a toothbrush?" Blaine asked curiously, "I didn't think it was that romantic, to be honest."

Kurt walked over to the bed and smiled when he saw the folded clothes on top. When he turned around, Blaine was watching him from the door. 

"It's not about the toothbrush, it's about making me feel at home." 

He grabbed Blaine's sweater and held it up to his nose. 

"It smells like you." He said with a smile. "Shit, it's going to be hard to concentrate at work with your scent sticking to me all day."

"I'll always make you feel at home here, Kurt. I love having you here." Blaine said in a soft voice, smiling when Kurt put the sweater on, "I feel right at home whenever I'm with you."

He winced a little and giggled. 

"Sorry, that was cheesy, wasn't it?"

"It was cheesy, but I feel the same." Kurt moved closer to him and rested his forehead on Blaine's for a few seconds before gently brushing their lips together. "Now I need to finish getting dressed. Do you want me to drop the towel in front of you?" He teased him.

Blaine laughed loudly. 

"I would love that, but I'll let you dress in peace." He said with a wink as he turned to walk back out of the bedroom and went back into the kitchen.

Kurt laughed as he laid the towel on the bed and pulled on Blaine's boxers and jeans. They weren't his size, but at least he felt comfortable, and walking around at work in his boyfriend's clothes while most of the people there didn't know they were together seemed exciting. 

He checked his whole look in the mirror, and before going to the kitchen for breakfast, he smiled and looked under the pillow, where he had left the t-shirt he had worn to sleep. Despite his reluctance, he was touched that Blaine didn't want to wash it. 

Kurt had never felt so at home.

******

Kurt sent the email and smiled. He loved the feeling of finishing an article he was particularly satisfied with and sending it to his boss, knowing Julia well enough to know that she would like it too. 

He leaned back in his chair, taking five minutes off until he started his next task. 

It was Thursday, the weekend was coming up and he was excited to have his dad and Carole in town. Last night, he had spoken with his dad on the phone to know the details of their flight, and when Burt Hummel said 'I can't wait to meet your boyfriend, because you seem happier than ever', Kurt could only smile. 

On Wednesday, after waking up at Blaine's apartment, he had spent the day in Blaine's clothes and felt prouder than when he wore a silk shirt from some prestigious brand. Not even Gucci could fight Blaine, his boyfriend won the battle. 

A knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts, and Kurt turned to his computer quickly. 

"Come in." He said.

Blaine poked his head around the door, the wide smile on his face lighting up Kurt's office. 

"Hey."

"Hey." Kurt returned an equally big smile. "It's 10 minutes to lunch time, I wasn't expecting you so soon."

Blaine closed the door behind him as he stepped inside, and walked up to Kurt's desk.

"Yeah, I finished my work and just had to drop something in to Julia, so I thought I would come and say 'hi'." Blaine explained as he sat on the side of Kurt's desk, "also, I got a message from Brooke. She and Finn have a scheduled doctor's appointment today. Nothing serious, just a check-up. But she asked if I can look after the kids, so would you like to do it with me?"

Kurt got up and went to stand between Blaine's legs, and he leaned in to give him a soft kiss on the lips. 

"Hi." Kurt said with a chuckle. "And of course I want to look after the little monsters with you. It's a lovely day, we could take them somewhere."

"We can take them to the park." Blaine said as he placed his hands on Kurt's hips.

"I like the idea. Although if at any point they want to play in the dirt, you'll be the one to do it." Kurt teased, pinning one of Blaine's curls back into place.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll play with the little monsters in the dirt. I'm sure they won't, though." Blaine chuckled as he leaned into Kurt's touch.

"One day, I took Jack to the park with Finn and he put a handful of dirt in his mouth. I know what I'm talking about." Kurt rolled his eyes at the memory.

"I'm sure everyone has eaten dirt as a kid." Blaine giggled at Kurt's disgusted face, "you probably did, too."

"I didn't." Kurt assured him. "I was never a big fan of staining my clothes."

"Even at 2?" Blaine ran his hands up over Kurt's hips to place them just underneath the dip of his ribs, squeezing his sides gently.

"Even at 2. You can ask my dad on Saturday." 

Kurt began to trace Blaine's features with his index finger, smiling when Blaine kissed the tip of it as Kurt placed it on his lips. 

"You're so handsome. I told you before we were together and I meant it, Anna's going to have trouble getting a boyfriend if she tries to find someone like you."

Blaine frowned.

"She's never having a boyfriend." He said sternly, and as Kurt laughed, Blaine's face relaxed again into a smile.

"You sounded just like Finn." Kurt grinned. "We should go to the dining room, by the way." He said before walking around his desk to turn off his computer. "What time do we have to pick up the kids?"

"Around 5:00pm, so we should have time to go home and change to more comfortable clothes first. Do you want me to pick you up or...?" Blaine left the question hanging in the air as he followed Kurt to the door.

"I'll pick you up." Kurt said resolutely. "But if when I get to your place you're not ready, I'll have to take somebody else. I don't like being kept waiting." 

Kurt started to open the door, but Blaine slammed it shut and spun Kurt around, making him laugh.

He pinned Kurt to the door and pressed his lips to his, pressing Kurt's wrists to the door either side of his head, with his hands circling them. He pushed his tongue into Kurt's mouth semi-aggressively, sucking Kurt's tongue back into his own when he granted him access.

As Blaine pulled away, he pushed their chests and hips together, keeping Kurt back against the door with his whole body. He bit Kurt's bottom lip gently as he released his mouth, and then smirked at him.

"If you want to take somebody else with you, be my guest." He said in a low voice, "but nobody is going to kiss you like I do."

He stared into Kurt's eyes with a warm, teasing look as he released his wrists and moved a couple of steps back.

Kurt gasped for breath when he looked at Blaine, who was smirking at him, knowing exactly what he had done. 

"I-I guess I can wait a few minutes for you if you're late." He said, feeling that it was suddenly so hot in his office.

"Let's go to have lunch, baby." Blaine said again in that low voice, "unless you have a problem you need to sort out?"

Kurt placed his hand on the handle, but before turning it, he brought Blaine closer to him with his other hand, and wanting to show him that he could play too, he leaned close to his ear until his lips almost touched it. 

"You've been causing me a lot of problems lately... can't wait to have the time to fix them." He whispered before bitting Blaine's earlobe. 

Then he pushed Blaine gently away again, grabbed his lunch bag and walked out of his office wiggling, aware that Blaine was staring at him.

Blaine shook his head as he followed. His boyfriend seriously knew how to get someone hot.

******

Kurt parked the car in front of Blaine's building at 4:40pm. He reached for his phone to text his boyfriend and tell him to come down whenever he wanted, but before he could, he heard a tap on the window that made him jump.

Blaine smiled smugly as he waved to Kurt, before walking around and opening the passenger door. 

"Hey, sweetheart, hope you weren't waiting long." He said with a smirk.

"Were you waiting on the street ahead of time to make a fool of me?" Kurt asked as Blaine sat down next to him.

"I wasn't planning on making you look like a fool, baby." Blaine said as he leaned over and kissed his boyfriend's cheek.

He sat back and put his seatbelt on with a grin never leaving his face.

Kurt sighed dramatically, but smiled fondly at Blaine before starting the car. 

They spent the whole ride laughing and messing with each other, Blaine changing the radio station all the time and Kurt asking if he had nothing better to do with his fingers, which he regretted a second later when Blaine started to make all kinds of dirty comments. 

After a while, they finally parked in front of Finn and Brooke's house, and before Blaine could get out, Kurt quickly walked around the car to open the door for him, holding out a hand.

Blaine had a surprised look on his face as Kurt opened his door, and he smiled as he took Kurt's hand. 

"Wow, what a proper gentleman." He said as he kissed Kurt's cheek.

"Always the best for my man." Kurt nudged him, and still holding Blaine's hand, he headed to the house.

Blaine gestured to Kurt to go ahead and knock on the door, and they both smiled and laughed at them being gentlemanly for each other before Kurt knocked on the door. 

Two sets of little stomping feet came running to the door, and it opened to reveal the very smiling faces of their niece and nephew.

"Princess!" 

"Uncle Blaine!" 

Blaine and Anna screeched at the same time, which made Jack laugh.

"Has anyone seen Jack? I'm looking for my nephew Jack, has anyone seen him? Here's just my princess Anna and this handsome big boy... oh, no, it's Jack!" Kurt bent down in front of his nephew, who immediately placed his little hands on his uncle's face as he giggled. "If you keep growing, I won't recognize you." He said kissing Jack's cheek, before bringing his face close to Anna for the little girl to smooch it.

"Jackie man." Blaine said as Kurt picked him up, and held out a fist to him, watching with a smile as Jack's little fist bumped his. "Yeah!"

Jack giggled and buried his little face into Kurt's shirt, and Anna started pulling on Blaine's tracksuit pants.

"Uncle Blaine, pick me up too!" She demanded, and Blaine placed his hands on his hips as he was pretending to think about it, before laughing and picking her up.

He blew a raspberry on her cheek, making her giggle loudly, and turned to walk through the door, glancing at Kurt with a small wink and a little kiss gesture before heading inside.

Kurt smiled at Blaine and walked into the house behind him, his nephew clinging to him like a koala. 

"Hello?" He said, before reaching the living room. "Do these kids belong to someone or can we keep them?"

Finn appeared from the living room and smiled widely.

"I sent them to the door. I knew it was you two, I saw you pull up." He said as he walked over to give his brother a hug and then Blaine, "Brooke's just getting ready to go."

"How is she?" Kurt asked, playing with Jack's hair.

"She's doing good. Her stomach seems to be fine now, we're just going to a regular check-up to make sure everything is okay." Finn explained with a big grin, placing a hand on Kurt's shoulder, "don't worry so much."

Blaine was cuddling Anna against him as she was whispering stuff in his ear, and he was smiling widely as he whispered back, making her laugh.

Kurt stared at them with heart eyes, mentally noting that he should ask Blaine later what they were whispering about. 

He then turned to his brother, who was smiling at him. 

"I'm glad Brooke is okay, but why are you looking at me like that?" 

"You're almost drooling." Finn said softly so Blaine wouldn't hear him, and Kurt was about to say something when Brooke appeared in the living room. 

"You're here, guys. Thank you for looking after them." She said, giving Kurt a quick hug and a hard kiss on the cheek to her brother.

"You'll let us know how it went when you're back, right?" Blaine asked as he settled Anna properly on his hip, smiling at his sister, "oh, and we wanted to ask if it was okay to take these little monsters to go play in the park."

Anna's eyes lit up as she looked at Blaine with a smile.

"Yeah, it's okay!" Anna exclaimed. "We're going to the park with Uncle Blaine and Uncle Kurt." She clapped her little hands. 

"I think Uncle Blaine was asking Mom and Dad, not you, princess." Kurt laughed.

Anna pouted as she turned to her parents. Finn nearly laughed at her impatient face as she waited for an answer. Brooke beat him to it, though.

"Of course it's fine." She said with a smile as she kissed both of her children on their foreheads, "they need to run off some energy today."

"Yay!" Anna yelled as she wriggled in Blaine's arms.

"Well, we should be going, honey." Finn said, putting his hand on Brooke's back before looking at his brother. "We'll be back in about two hours, so it would be great if you brought them in before dinner time."

"Relax, we'll be back soon." Kurt assured him, making a funny face for Jack to make him laugh.

"We can make dinner when we get back, if you want." Blaine told them.

Brooke smiled gratefully.

"That would be really nice, sweetheart, thank you." 

Finn patted Blaine's shoulder before he smiled at them both and left with Brooke, promising to call them when they were coming home.

Blaine looked at Kurt.

"Well, let's get these little beasts in their coats and go."

Blaine helped Anna with her cardigan while Kurt put Jack on a denim jacket. Then, the kids insisted on getting a ball to play in the park, and Blaine went to get it in their room while Kurt got the keys and a bottle of water and waited for him at the door with the kids.

Blaine smiled as he came back and then took Anna's hand in his, the other arm around the ball and let Kurt and Jack walk out first.

Kurt opened the door and lifted Jack up to leave the house, and Blaine and Anna started walking beside them right away. 

When they had barely taken a few steps, Jack tugged on Kurt's sweatshirt with his little fists. 

"Piiback." He asked. 

"Oh, no, mister, I'm not going to piggyback you." Kurt shook his head, and Jack pouted.

"I can do it, if you want to take the princess and the ball." Blaine offered, giving Kurt a grin.

"Really?" Kurt smiled as he looked at his nephew. "It's your lucky day, Uncle Blaine will do it." 

Jack let out a cry of joy and threw his arms at Blaine.

"Woah, easy, little man." Blaine said as he caught him from Kurt's arms and then lifted him over his head, placing his legs on his shoulders and holding them securely as Jack giggled with laughter at being up so high.

"Daddy always gives Jack piggyback rides." Anna told them both as she took Kurt's hand.

"Be careful, Blaine, please." Kurt asked after grabbing Anna's hand and putting the ball in his shoulder bag.

"Don't worry, I got him." Blaine laughed as he bounced Jack a couple of times, keeping his legs still as Jack's bottom bounced on Blaine's shoulders, causing the little boy to giggle loudly.

"Again!" Jack kept saying every time Blaine did it, but Blaine did stop eventually since Kurt kept giving them worried looks.

They reached the park in just 10 minutes. Anna immediately let go of Kurt's hand and asked for the ball, and when Jack saw his sister, he moved his legs excitedly and Blaine took it as a signal to put him on the ground as well. They found a quiet grassy area to play, and Blaine and Kurt sat on a bench just in front of it. 

"Don't go any further than where we can see you, okay?" Kurt said out loud for them to hear him.

Blaine watched the kids playing with the ball together with a soft smile on his face. 

"I can't believe how big they got since I was in Virginia." Blaine said as he turned to Kurt, "I last saw Anna when she was 4, and she's such a little lady now. Jack was only a baby."

"It's amazing how quickly time flies." Kurt sighed. "I still remember the first time I held her. She was a little pinkish thing, and the moment her tiny hand grabbed my finger, I knew that I would do whatever she wanted. And then the same thing happened with Jack."

"Yeah, she has us wrapped around her finger. Well, actually both of them do." Blaine laughed, "I don't know how anyone couldn't love them. They're so cute, and Anna's so smart...I've never known a kid like her."

Kurt's mind travelled for a second to all those times Jamie didn't want to see the kids or bond with them, and how his heart had hurt then.

"Yeah, they're wonderful." He looked at Blaine and the smile returned to his face. "And you're a natural. I don't know if you're aware of how they look at you."

"How do they look at me?" Blaine asked raising an eyebrow as he smiled at Kurt.

"Like you're the best thing that ever happened to them, and I understand the feeling." Kurt laughed. "I'm not saying they don't love Finn and Brooke, of course they do, but their parents are also the ones who scold them and force them to eat vegetables. You're Uncle Blaine, the one with the cuddles and laughter. It's great to see you with them."

"You know they look at you the same way, right?" Blaine said in reply, taking Kurt's hand lightly, "I have competition for favorite uncle."

Kurt waved the hand that wasn't touching Blaine's.

"There's no competition." He stated. "I know they love us both, I'm not worried about that. But after piggybacking Jack, you've gained some points."

"I did, didn't I?" Blaine giggled, "but I knew you were worried I was going to drop him."

As Kurt was about to respond, they were interrupted by Anna running over to them and jumping up and down excitedly.

"Uncle Kurt, Uncle Blaine, come and play with us!" She demanded with a big smile, and Blaine grinned before standing.

"As you wish, princess." Kurt stood up too. "Go get the ball ready, Uncle Blaine and I will catch you up in a minute, okay?"

Anna nodded excitedly and ran back with her brother.

"For your information, I knew you weren't going to drop him." Kurt looked at Blaine with a small smile. "But I guess I'll be the parent who worries too much."

Kurt realized what he had just said and felt the heat creep up his face. Blaine looked at him in surprise, and Kurt quickly thought of what he could add to change the subject.

"Oh, I saw you and Anna whispering before Finn and Brooke left. Are you going to tell me what that was about?" He asked, starting to walk slowly towards the kids.

"She asked me if I loved you." Blaine said with a smile. "So I asked her if she wanted me and Uncle Kurt to be together, and she said she would love to go to our wedding."

He laughed at Kurt's surprised face.

"Let me just say, I think she'll be fine once we tell her we're together." Blaine added as he then turned and ran to catch Jack around the waist, kissing him before running with him to get the ball.

Kurt watched the scene for a minute as he tried to command his heart to stop trying to escape from his rib cage.

Anybody else would have panicked if the guy they're been dating for two weeks made a comment about the chance of being parents someday, but not Blaine. Blaine had to surprise him one more time.

Kurt shook his head and couldn't resist the urge to join in any longer. He walked over and lifted Anna up, causing the girl to laugh as she protested that Uncle Blaine was monopolizing the ball.

They spent the next hour playing around with the kids and the ball, before Anna decided they needed to play tag instead, so then it was Blaine chasing them all around the park pretending to miss Jack and Anna and going straight for Kurt everytime.

"This is harassment." Kurt protested the fourth time Blaine caught him, and leaned his back against the trunk of the tree he had tried to hide behind.

After poking his head to check that the kids were close, but not close enough to see them, Kurt leaned into Blaine to give him a little kiss on the lips.

"All's fair in love and war." Blaine said with a smile, eyes moving all around Kurt's face, "come and catch me, baby."

Blaine cut and run and Kurt went after him, though he didn't hesitate to call for backup.

"Guys, let's catch Uncle Blaine. He promised to buy us ice-creams if we get him." He said, laughing when he saw the kids chasing Blaine.

"Cheater!" Blaine screeched as he ran from all of them, skipping around Jack, who was laughing too much to catch him, and Anna, who made grabby hands at him.

Kurt was on his tail, though, and closing in. Blaine made a swift left turn and ran around another tree, stopping behind it as Kurt stood on the other side, grinning at him.

"Give up, Anderson. We'll have mercy on you if you voluntarily surrender." Kurt said, breathing heavily after the run and trying to catch Blaine, who moved at the same time as him.

"I'll never surrender!" Blaine cheered as he ran around the tree, narrowly avoiding Kurt's fingers as he reached for him and then laughing as he slowed down for the kids to catch him.

As Jack and Anna both touched him, Blaine crumpled to the ground, shouting 'No! They got me, no!' and rolling around as the kids jumped on him.

Kurt laughed and couldn't help but throwing himself to the ground with them. He tore Jack from Blaine's arm and placed him on his chest, while Blaine pretended to resist Anna's attacks.

Blaine smiled over at him, one of those big sunny smiles that let Kurt know he was really happy, before Anna began tickling him and he started giggling as he tickled her back.

"I think Anna is gonna win." Kurt whispered to Jack, even though he knew Blaine had heard him, and as the boy was distracted by looking at his sister, Kurt sat up and began to blow raspberries on his tummy.

Blaine laughed as Jack giggled loudly, both children then laughing at Kurt as he began to make silly faces at them both. 

When Blaine decided they had spent enough time on the ground, he stood up and placed Anna onto her feet before reaching out a hand for Kurt and pulling him up, with Jack still attached to his chest.

"I think it's time we go get some ice-cream from the stand, and then head back to make dinner." He said.

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand before letting it go and made sure Jack had a good grip on him before he started walking. 

"Yeah, I think these two little savages have earned a reward for helping me defeat the enemy." He giggled as Anna ran towards the ice-cream stand at the park entrance.

"I'm the enemy? You know that hurts." Blaine held his chest with a fake pout.

When they reached the stand, Kurt put Jack on his hip so the kid could get a better look at the counter, and leaned subtly toward Blaine. 

"Well, in this case, it turns out that I'm in love with the enemy. I've always liked epic love stories." He breathed in Blaine's ear.

Blaine's face split in two with the wide smile that crossed it, as Anna excitedly looked at all of the ice-cream options on the board and was trying to choose. 

"Enemies to lovers...that's really epic." He replied as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket, "okay, who's having what? It's on me, after all.

Anna settled on a strawberry ice-cream and Jack a caramel one, and Kurt choose vanilla. Blaine ordered a chocolate one for himself and they all went home in pleasant silence, enjoying their sweets. 

As soon as they got home, Blaine walked the kids into the bathroom to wash their hands and faces, because both of them had ice-cream leftovers around their mouths, while Kurt started cooking mac and cheese for dinner. 

When Blaine and the kids entered the kitchen, Blaine had to restrain himself from approaching Kurt and wrapping his arms around his waist as he cooked, but in the end he decided to sit the kids down and start setting the table. 

Some minutes later, as Kurt was pouring out the cooked pasta, the door opened and the kids ran out to greet their parents, screaming about how much fun they had had in the park with their uncles.

Finn and Brooke appeared with huge smiles on their faces, and Blaine smiled back at them. 

"So how did it go?" Blaine asked his sister as Finn was preoccupied with Jack and Anna, taking them into the living room while they told him about the games they had played and the ice-creams. 

"It went fine. The doctor said I'm as healthy as a horse." She replied, and Blaine let out a relieved little sigh. 

"That's good."

"I'm glad to hear it, Brooke." Kurt said. "But then... why do you keep having medical appointments?" He asked with a frown. 

Brooke and Finn, who had just returned to the kitchen, exchanged a look, and he nodded his head slightly with a smile.

Brooke sighed a little happily before giving everyone a smile. 

"Kurt, could you leave that pot for a second and come to sit down?" She asked.

Blaine looked at her curiously but also worriedly, and then he glanced between her and Kurt.

"Okay..." Kurt's frown deepened a bit more, but he did as Brooke asked. He turned off the stove and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Bro, calm down. It's nothing bad... on the contrary." Finn assured him with suddenly bright eyes.

Brooke gave her husband a big smile as he walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek before standing behind her. They both turned to smile at Kurt and Blaine. 

"What's going on?" Blaine asked with a curious smile, totally confused.

"Well..." Brooke started, and then laughed a little, "we were going to wait a little longer to tell you, guys, but since Burt and Carole already know, we think you two should know now."

Kurt and Blaine waited, glancing between Brooke and Finn's faces for a few seconds.

"I'm pregnant." Brooke said softly.

Kurt widened his eyes and covered his mouth with his hands, before yelling and running up to hug Brooke. He began to squeeze her into his arms until he quickly pulled away. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't hurt you, did I?" 

As soon as she shook her head and laughed, Kurt launched into hugging his brother. 

"I'm so happy for you, guys. So, so happy." He said with his face pressed against his brother's shoulder.

Finn laughed and squeezed Kurt back as Blaine still sat shocked for a second. Brooke nudged her brother with a smile and he broke out of his frozen state and stood up quickly to embrace her.

"You have no idea how relieved I am that it's not an illness." He whispered against her cheek, and she giggled.

"Oh, but I was ill." She said, and he grinned as he kissed her cheek.

"Congratulations, sis."

Kurt came back over to hug her again before going back to the pot of mac and cheese he was making as Blaine hugged Finn too.

"Are you nauseous?" Kurt asked as he started to heat the pot again. "I think that's usually in the morning, but... is there anything you can't eat now? I don't know if mac and cheese is the best for a pregnant woman. I can make you something else if you want, I'm sure the five of us can eat this pot by ourselves."

When Kurt felt three pairs of eyes on him, he bit his lower lip before chuckling. 

"I'm talking too much, right? I'm just so excited!" He looked around and then at his brother. "Where are the kids? Do they know?" 

"They're playing in the living room. And no, they don't know yet. But we won't be long in telling them, right, honey?" Finn put his arm around Brooke's shoulders before kissing her hair.

"We'll definitely tell them at the right time." Brooke agreed before smiling back at Kurt again, "oh, honey, I'm fine, really. Nausea was getting to me a little, but I'm okay now. And I can totally eat mac and cheese; in fact, I haven't made that for weeks. It smells incredible."

Kurt breathed in relief and smiled proudly at Brooke.

"Great. This is done, so I think we should have dinner and leave so you guys can go to bed soon. Now you have to sleep more, don't you? I think it's good for the fetus that..." Kurt trailed off when he felt Brooke's hand on his shoulder as she was looking at him amused. "I'm doing it again." He giggled. "And it's the third baby, jeez... but I'll keep quiet for tonight, I promise."

She kissed his cheek gently and then stroked it.

"I love that you worry about me, Kurt, but yes, it's the third time. I think Finn and I have it under control." She said before turning a glare to her husband, "Finn, come and get this pot and serve everyone, please?"

Finn stood up quickly and went to get the kids, one under each arm giggling when he came back in, and placing them in their chairs while Blaine laughed at his face. 

Once the kids were settled, Brooke pulled Kurt away from the pot and let Finn take over, giving Kurt a wink as she pushed him into his chair next to Blaine.

Kurt was amazed at how quickly Finn took over and served everyone their dinner, giving his wife a kiss before placing her plate in front of her.

Blaine and Kurt shared a bemused expression and then laughed quietly together before beginning to eat with everyone else. Finn, they supposed, was used to being bossed around by a pregnant wife, having been through it twice before.

Dinner was pleasant and conversation flowed quickly; it wasn't as awkward as their last dinner together. But Anna and Jack ended up getting tired quickly once 8pm came around, so Blaine and Kurt decided it was time to leave. 

Giving everyone kisses and hugs before saying 'good night', they headed back to Kurt's car, matching relaxed smiles on their faces as they climbed into their seats. 

Before starting the car, Kurt turned to Blaine. 

"Another baby. We're going to be uncles again, can you believe it?" Kurt asked with a huge grin.

"I really can't. It's amazing." Blaine said quietly, "another member of our family. And I'll be living close, so I can see him or her grow up this time."

"This summer is only getting better." Kurt said, and after winking at Blaine, he started the car and headed for Blaine's apartment. 

Except for some occassional comments, they made the journey in the comfortable silence they had both got used to in these situations. There wasn't a lot of traffic, so they got to Blaine's soon. Kurt parked the car and smiled at his boyfriend. 

"It's been a great evening. I loved taking the kids to the park with you."

"Me too. I hope we can do it again soon." Blaine said with more meaning behind those words than he had meant, and it made him blush, "I mean, with Anna and Jack...it was awesome."

Kurt laughed as he unbuckled his seat belt, so he could lean over the center console and get closer to Blaine. 

"I had thought to invite you to my place tomorrow, but Anna and Jack won't be there, so maybe you don't want to." He said, batting his lashes suggestively.

"Tomorrow? Can I stay over?" Blaine grinned a little cheekily, but there was some hope in his eyes of spending another weekend with Kurt.

"I was counting on it. On Saturday morning I have to pick up my parents at the airport, you can come with me… or wait for us at home, whatever you prefer." Kurt told him, hoping Blaine would say 'yes' and it wasn't too weird for him.

"Oh, I would definitely like to pick them up with you in the morning." Blaine said, barely holding in his excitement, "if that's okay with you?"

"Really? Are you sure?" Kurt asked as he tried to contain a smile.

"Absolutely." Blaine exclaimed with more enthusiasm, "maybe we can take your parents out to breakfast when we pick them up."

Kurt looked at him for a few seconds, as if trying to believe that Blaine was even real. 

"That would be perfect. God, they're going to adore you." He took Blaine's hand and brought it to his lips to kiss it. "Pack a bag with plenty of clothes, it will be a long weekend."

"Oh, I will." Blaine replied, "thanks for the ride, baby. I'll see you at work tomorrow?"

He leaned forward and pursed his lips at Kurt, a small smile on them as he did so.

Kurt smirked before pressing his lips to Blaine's. He caressed his face as he kissed him, reveling in the contact. 

"See you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too." Blaine responded easily as he opened the door, but he stopped for a few seconds to stare at Kurt's face, eyes roaming over all of his features for a moment before he smiled softly and waved as he got out.

When he had closed the door and was standing on the sidewalk, he waved again and blew a kiss to Kurt through the window before turning to walk inside his building.

Kurt stared at Blaine until he entered the building, and only then he started the car, thinking about how lucky he felt. He was going to be an uncle again, his parents were visiting in two days and he had someone by his side who did everything even better. 

He needed Friday morning to go by soon, because he was sure that weekend was going to be really special.


	26. Chapter 26

\- Should I put some fancy clothes in the bag? I don't know what you have in mind for tonight, and I want to make a good impression on your parents x - 

Kurt smiled when he read Blaine's message. He found it lovely that his boyfriend took so much trouble for this weekend. But he also loved to surprise Blaine and play the mystery. 

\- Don't worry for the weekend, we won't go anywhere that requires etiquette, and if you intend to go to the airport in a suit, my dad will be laughing at you for the rest of his life. As for tonight... you'll see, but you should bring your best pyjamas ;) - 

Kurt was prepared to leave when he got a new answer. 

\- You enjoy this secrecy, right? Ugh, you're lucky that I love you so much. See you in a bit <3 - 

Kurt did a happy dance before getting out his apartment and heading to his car. 

Like most of the days, Blaine was waiting for him in the lobby when he arrived. Kurt grinned at him and they both headed straight for the elevator. 

"I love that you can't resist seeing me every morning before you start work, but you know you don't have to." Kurt told him in a low voice, so that the rest of the people who were around there would not hear them. 

"You don't have to torture me with your mystery dates either and you still do. We each have our role in this relationship." Blaine replied with a funny face. 

Kurt laughed when they both got on the elevator, and for the first time since they started this routine, it was just the two of them in it. They pushed the button for their respective floors, and as soon as the elevator doors closed, Blaine was glued to Kurt. 

"We only have a few seconds, but I can't fight it." He whispered, before placing a hand on the back of Kurt's neck and pulling him in for a kiss. 

His lips moved eagerly over Kurt's, who responded with equal enthusiasm before Blaine snapped apart and stood at the other end of the elevator. Kurt barely had time to collect himself before the doors slid open, announcing that they were on the 2nd floor. 

Even though his knees were like jelly, he managed to get out and turn to Blaine, and winked at him before leaving. Blaine leaned against the elevator wall for a moment before he reached his floor and had to get off as well. 

They both had a pretty busy morning. At lunch time, Kurt sat with Camille and Blaine with his co-workers, but they gave each other a couple of smiles that hinted at how excited they both were for what awaited them in a few hours. Camille asked Kurt if they had any plans for today, and when he told her, she just laughed and replied 'I don't think you guys will be dressed for long', and a small part of Kurt wished she was right. 

******

It was 7 o'clock and Blaine was about to arrive. Kurt made sure everything was ready, and went over his outfit once more with a chuckle. He hoped Blaine found the plan as funny as he did. 

A couple of minutes later, the doorbell rang and Kurt opened the door quickly.

"Hey, baby..." Blaine had a wide smile on his face, but also a confused look as he took in Kurt's outfit. "Am I that late?" He looked at his watch with a teasing grin.

Kurt smiled and shook his head. 

"No, you're just in time." 

Kurt stepped aside for Blaine to enter, and after closing the door and kissing him on the cheek, he turned around in front of Blaine. 

"What do you think of my choice for our first official pyjama party?" He asked, pointing to his black satin pyjamas with thin white vertical details, along with padded cow print socks.

"It's amazing!" Blaine exclaimed with a big smile, his hands reaching out to run down the sides of Kurt's waist, feeling the silky material over warm skin.

He dropped his bag from his shoulder gently to the floor and smiled widely at his boyfriend. 

"I've never had a pyjama party before. What do we do?"

Kurt placed his hands on Blaine's shoulders with a smile. 

"Okay, first of all, as much as I like this maroon shirt and these tight jeans you're wearing, it's mandatory that we both wear pyjamas, so you have to change. After that, we'll order some greasy food and..." He pointed to the board game boxes on the table, "we'll play silly board games until we get tired. Do you like the plan?" He asked curiously.

"I love the plan." Blaine gave Kurt his sunny smile, "and by the way, I didn't really have any pyjamas, but...after work, I went to buy some. I think you'll like them." 

Blaine winked at Kurt and then took his bag into Kurt's bedroom to go and change.

Kurt sighed happily as he went to the kitchen. He took a couple of sodas from the fridge and placed them on a tray, along with a couple of glasses and a bowl of potato chips. 

He carried it all into the living room, and when he put the tray on the coffee table, Blaine was already back. Kurt stared at him with his mouth open. 

"You look adorable." He said with a giggle.

Blaine was wearing a kind of fluffy white onesie with a hood sporting a pair of ears. He was like a polar bear, and he also had a pair of fluffy white socks to match his suit. 

He spun around with a small laugh for Kurt to look at his little tail on the back. 

"Good, right?" He asked with a massive cheesy grin on his face.

Kurt approached him with a huge smile on his face. 

"I think you shouldn't wear anything other than this from now on. I'm going to talk to Julia about making it your uniform." He put his arms around Blaine's waist and chuckled when his hands reached his pyjama tail.

Blaine laughed and wrapped his arms around Kurt's neck. 

"Don't you dare. This polar bear is for your eyes only."

Kurt leaned into Blaine to kiss him. He placed his hands on the small of Blaine's back, enjoying the fluffy fabric under his fingers as he gently brushed Blaine's lips with his. 

When he needed to deepen the kiss a bit more, he caressed Blaine's lower lip with his tongue, and Blaine instantly parted his lips for him. Kurt moaned as his tongue circled Blaine's inside his mouth.

Blaine groaned into Kurt's mouth and leaned closer, pressing their chests together as he let Kurt kiss him breathless. After a few moments, he pulled back a little, gasping as Kurt bit his bottom lip gently before releasing his mouth. 

"Do pyjama parties usually involve making out?" He asked with a groan that was low in his throat.

"I don't know the rules, but I assure you this one does." Kurt pecked his lips once more, before pulling away and grabbing Blaine's hand to lead him to the couch. "But first, dinner." 

They sat together, and Kurt handed him a few pamphlets. 

"These are the restaurants in the area that serve home delivery and are approved by my exquisite palate. I'll let my cute bear decide."

"Thanks." Blaine said as he looked over all the pamphlets, "Ooh, Dominos! I haven't had pizza since Nate and Dylan were visiting. Can we?" 

He gave Kurt the eyes, those big doe eyes that melted him into a puddle all the time.

"I said you could choose whatever you wanted, you don't have to look at me like that. Jeez, I would sell my soul to the devil if he asked me with those eyes." Kurt protested, although he had a smile on his lips.

"How do you know I'm not the devil and I also want your soul?" Blaine said with an evil grin; well, as evil as he could make it, which looked kind of sexy and not evil at all.

"You have ears on your hood, baby, I don't think that's so devilish." Kurt laughed as he rested his head on Blaine's shoulder and read the pamphlet. "Which pizza do you want?"

"Pepperoni, please, with extra cheese." Blaine replied, nuzzling his face against Kurt's hair, messing it up a little, "I'm in the mood for a lot of greasy food now."

"And I'm in the mood to spoil you." Kurt replied, sitting up straight and picking up his phone. "I'm going to call to order it, but I need you to do me a favor first. Can you get up and stand right there, please?" He pointed to a spot in front of the couch, right next to the TV.

Blaine raised an eyebrow and gave Kurt a curious look as he got up and slowly walked to stand next to the TV. He shrugged as he stood there. 

"Now what?"

"Just stay there for a moment." 

Kurt put up his phone, and after setting up the camera, he took a couple of pictures of Blaine. 

"So cute. Could you put the hood on now?" He asked with an innocent look in his face.

Blaine chuckled a little. 

"Do you want me to pose too?" He asked as he put the hood up, and then made clawed hands and a growling face at Kurt.

Kurt cracked up, but he kept taking pictures of Blaine until he returned to the couch next to him. 

"I think this is going to be my new lockscreen, what do you think?" Kurt turned the phone so that Blaine saw an especially sweet picture of him, wide-eyed and pouting.

"Great, but you know this relationship works both ways." Blaine said with a grin and pulled out his phone, quickly typing on it and then showing Kurt exactly what he had changed his lockscreen to. 

It was a picture of Kurt sleeping. It looked like it was from last time he slept over at Blaine's apartment. 

"I'm glad I got this. You look adorable asleep."

"Did you take a picture of me while I was sleeping? Blaine, that's not fair! Look at my hair there." Kurt said sheepishly, but deep down he thought it was lovely.

"Your hair is perfect no matter if you lay on it or not." Blaine said with a grin, "plus, I like this Kurt… only I get to see it."

"Okay, whatever." Kurt ignored the slight blush on his cheeks and focused back on his phone. "I'm going to order us pizza."

"Good! What about Monopoly?" Blaine said as he picked up the box, "while we wait for the pizza."

"Perfect." 

Kurt called the pizza place, and told Blaine that it would be there in about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, Blaine had placed the board on the coffee table and split the money that each one needed to start. 

"I'm a master of Monopoly, I warn you." Kurt told him with a smirk. 

However, half an hour later things were very different. Kurt wore an annoyed face as Blaine counted his money smugly. 

"Oh, please, stop showing off." Kurt snapped at him before rolling the dice and grunting when he saw that he had landed on Blaine's property again. "Dammit."

"Aww baby, don't pout. It's all a game of chance." Blaine said sympathetically, but he couldn't wipe the smile off of his face.

"It's a stupid game, and I think you cheated the dice somehow." Kurt snorted, handing Blaine some more bills.

"No cheating. Don't blame me for you landing on my property." Blaine said as he placed his money in the pile, and then rolled the dice again.

"It's kind of hard not to land there when you've bought pretty much the entire board. I only have a couple of properties and you avoid them like the plague." Kurt answered.

"I can't help the roll of the dice, baby." Blaine laughed at Kurt's grumpy face, and moved his token across the board, landing just in the space between two of Kurt's properties.

"You have to be kidding me!" Kurt exclaimed, just as the doorbell rang. "Saved by the bell." He gave Blaine a kiss on the forehead to show him that he wasn't actually angry and went to open to the delivery man. 

Three minutes later, Kurt closed the door and returned to the couch next to Blaine. 

"Your pizza, sir." He opened the pizza box and placed it next to the board. "God, why does all junk food smell so good?"

"I don't know, but there's something so incredibly comforting about the smell of cheese and dough." Blaine said as he took a piece of the pizza and then held it out to Kurt for a bite first. "Say 'ahh'..."

Kurt rolled his eyes before opening his mouth. Blaine brought the slice of pizza to his mouth and Kurt took a good bite. He immediately felt the cheese and pepperoni melt in his mouth.

"Wow, it's delicious." He said, enjoying the bite before swallowing it. "Take a bite, baby."

Blaine bit into it, just over the bit Kurt had taken, but it was a much bigger bite than his boyfriend's, and he moaned out loud. 

He chewed for a second before swallowing some of it and rolling his eyes. 

"Oh my god, this is just what I needed."

They ate the first few pieces like this, feeding each other and enjoying the food and the closeness, until they decided to resume the game. 

The game didn't take long, though, because Kurt ran out of money quickly and Blaine had to remove his frown with kisses. 

"Okay, I'm going to pretend this disastrous Monopoly game didn't exist." Kurt gave Blaine a peck on his neck before taking a sip of his soda. "What do you want to play now?"

Blaine shrugged with a grin. 

"Whatever you want to play, I'm game."

Kurt glanced at the tower of boxes and picked up the Scrabble. 

"What do you say? Are you as good with words as taking all my money from me?" He asked, feigning a pout.

Blaine laughed giddily and leaned in to kiss the pout off of his boyfriend's face. 

"Bring it on, baby, but I won't go easy on you."

Blaine collected the Monopoly board and set up the Scrabble one while Kurt went to the kitchen for more sodas. When he returned, he saw that Blaine had moved to the other side of the table. 

"Do you turn away from me so I don't see your tiles? What do you take me for?" He asked as he sat down on the couch and gave Blaine a can.

"Just the proper way to play the game. Plus, if I'm sitting over here, you can't distract me with kisses." Blaine laughed and gave him a wiggle of the eyebrows, making him laugh.

"Oh, really? You'll ask me for kisses later." Kurt smirked at him as he picked up seven tiles and started moving them on their holder. "Get ready, things are going to be very different now."

Blaine placed seven tiles of his own in the holder on his side before shooting a very suggestive look to Kurt, but he remained silent. 

He looked over the tiles for a second and then smiled to himself.

"Okay, which letter, baby?" Kurt didn't move his eyes from the tiles, very focused on them.

"I have a 'D', what about you?" Blaine asked as he smiled up at Kurt.

Kurt made a face before answering. 

"'E'." He muttered.

"Alright, I start." Blaine almost laughed at Kurt's dejected face before placing 'Day' on the board and picking up three more tiles.

Kurt scored the points and wrote them down in a notebook, before placing the word 'Delete', using Blaine's 'D'. 

"Thanks for your letter, baby." Kurt stuck his tongue out at him and wrote down his points now.

"Really?" 

Blaine shook his head with a little smile at Kurt's excitement, and looked through his own set of tiles before picking and moving them around. 

He placed a word across 'Delete', using the 'L' and made 'Also'.

Kurt looked at him with a grin before placing the word 'Trouble'. 

"I dedicate this one to you, honey."

Blaine picked his brain a little as he looked at the words on the board and then at his own letter tiles. He bit his bottom lip a little before picking up a few tiles to create the word 'Turn'.

"I don't like to brag, but I'm winning." Kurt laughed as he noted Blaine's points. 

Then he turned to his own letters and placed the word 'Night'. 

"Finish the pizza before it gets colder." He held the box close to Blaine.

Blaine laughed and took another slice of pizza, while he sorted his tiles out. He had to suppress a grin as he made out a word that was a bit suggestive. 

He glanced up at Kurt, who was concentrating on his own tiles while eating a slice of pizza too. 

Blaine placed the tiles down slowly, one at a time. 

'Girth.'

Kurt gazed nonchalantly at the board, and when he saw the word, he stared at Blaine. 

"Really? Is that the only thing you could think of?" He shook his head as he nibbled the inside of his cheek.

"Hey, it's what I had." Blaine laughed as he put down his pizza slice and picked out more tiles, "you didn't say there were rules against sex-related words."

Kurt laughed and finished his slice of pizza before thinking about his next word. 

The rest of the game consisted of Blaine trying to find words that would make Kurt blush, and Kurt trying to focus on what they were doing. 

The final score was 365-270 for Kurt. 

"Maybe if you had thought the words with your brain, you would have had a chance." Kurt said as he put the tiles back in the box.

"I can't help myself. It seems to be all my body and soul can think about when I'm with you, my love." Blaine said with a sunny grin, charming and happy.

"Alright, get your perfect ass up. I think we need to move a little to burn the pizza." Kurt left Scrabble with the rest of board games, and decided on something a little different. 

The truth was, Blaine's choice of words had taken its toll on Kurt, and he needed some contact with his boyfriend. 

"Do you feel like playing Twister?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow.

Blaine gave Kurt a knowing smile, and then nodded. 

"Twister it is."

Kurt moved the coffee table slightly to place the colored mat on the floor, and handed the spinner to Blaine.

"The loser begins." He stated.

Blaine spun the dial and grinned.

"Right hand red."

Kurt had to laugh when Blaine reached down to place his hand on one red circle and his fluffy tail poked up on his ass. 

"You can't imagine the views I have right now." Kurt giggled as he spun the dial. "Left hand blue. Sorry." Kurt mumbled, nudging Blaine slightly as he positioned himself.

Blaine laughed as Kurt moved around him, pressing up against his side. He spun the dial on the little spinner board again and then sighed.

"Left foot yellow." He put himself underneath Kurt a little so that he could reach yellow until his back was positioned under Kurt's arm.

Kurt tried to hold back his laughter as he moved his free hand to find out what he had to do next. 

"Left foot red. This gets complicated." Kurt placed his leg on top of Blaine, resting it a little on him.

Blaine laughed loudly and nearly lost his footing, but he wobbled back into position, and then spun the dial again.

"Okay, right foot yellow. How the fuck am I going to do that?" Blaine said and then tried to reach his foot over to the other side, but he couldn't get there, so he did the only thing he could: he turned over, keeping his hand on red, placing both feet onto the yellow colours.

He came face to face with Kurt though as he was holding himself up.

"Oh, hi, baby." He grinned.

"Hi." Kurt smiled looking at his boyfriend. 

In that position and wearing those pyjamas, Blaine was a mix between hot and adorable that made Kurt's stomach cramp. 

When the spinner indicated 'right foot green', Kurt had to spread his legs wide, forcing him to move closer to the mat, and consequently to Blaine. 

"Are you having fun?" He asked Blaine, just a few inches away from him.

Blaine's eyebrows shot up a little as his heart began to pound inside his chest; Kurt's face was so close. He swallowed a little hard and smiled at him.

"Yeah, tons of fun." He said in a low voice.

Blaine flicked the dial with his free hand and then glanced backwards at it, stretching his neck around.

"Right hand blue? Jeez."

He shuffled his hand over to blue, as it was the hand that was holding him up.

Kurt sighed. His entire being was begging him to kiss Blaine here and now, but he tried to push the envelope with this game. 

But when he spun the dial and saw "right hand green," he got a nervous laugh. Under normal conditions, he was getting lucky and had a fairly comfortable position... if not because he was completely exposed on top of his sexy boyfriend.

As Kurt's chest closed down on top of his gently, Blaine sighed a little through his nose. He gave Kurt a smile as they became closer now, and it turned into a grin as Kurt's cheeks began to flush a little.

"Well, this is comfortable." He said as he flicked his eyes over to the dial, "hey, did you want to spin it for me? I can't reach."

Blaine stretched his head back, exposing his neck.

Kurt's eyes were on Blaine's neck, and his mind on how easy it would be to lean over a little and run his tongue over it. But instead, he reached out and did what Blaine said. 

"Right foot red, baby." He mumbled after clearing his throat.

"Shit." Blaine mumbled around a small chuckle, and he spread his legs to put one of his feet on the red color, now holding himself up a little shaky.

"Not good. I'm gonna fall soon if I don't get my left hand down."

When Blaine turned his face and his eyes met Kurt's, the tension between them became even more palpable. Kurt was breathing heavily and his gaze shifted from Blaine's eyes to his lips. His full pink lips. 

"Fuck the game, I lose." Kurt stopped holding onto Blaine and dropped all his weight on him, causing the two of them to land on the mat. 

Without wasting a second, Kurt pressed his lips to Blaine's, as if desperately searching in them for the air he needed to breathe.

Blaine hummed against Kurt's lips, and wrapped his arms around his shoulders to pull him closer so that he had all his weight against him. He parted his lips for Kurt's tongue, moaning as it wrapped around his own and digging his fingers into Kurt's shoulder blades underneath his soft silk pyjamas.

Kurt moved a little until his entire body was glued on top of Blaine's. As cute as Blaine's pyjamas had looked at first, now he wished it were much thinner. He broke the kiss only to press his tongue to Blaine's jawline and lick it, and then he began to slide his mouth down Blaine's neck, leaving wet kisses and nibbles along the way.

"Oh, Kurt..." Blaine moaned as he moved one hand up to tangle in the back of Kurt's hair, and the other ran down his back to Kurt's ass, just holding it gently and pressing his fingers lightly into the material covering it.

Kurt moved his face to Blaine's throat and caressed it up and down with his nose, then he brushed that same skin with his lips, and he ended up burying his tongue in the hollow of Blaine's throat before lightly digging his teeth into the smooth skin on Blaine's collarbone.

"Fuck..." Blaine gasped as he gripped Kurt harder, spreading his own legs and wrapping his thighs around Kurt's hips.

He grinded up into Kurt as his boyfriend bit into the skin on his collarbone a little harder.

Kurt grinded down in response to Blaine's move, and a groan came from his throat, vibrating against Blaine's neck. 

"Baby... do you want us... to go to the bedroom?" Kurt whispered, his lips still tracing Blaine's neck until he sucked on a very sensitive spot under his ear.

"God, yes..." Blaine gasped out as he pushed his hips up into Kurt's once more before lowering his legs and waiting for Kurt to move off of him so that they could both get up from the floor.

Blaine chuckled as Kurt took his hand and practically dragged him into his bedroom.

When they entered the bedroom, Kurt stared at Blaine's face as his boyfriend tried to kiss him again, but he pulled away with a laugh. 

"Wait, baby... there's no rush." He said as he tried to steady his own breathing, and began to slowly unzip Blaine's onesie. "I love my cute polar bear, but right now I need what's underneath it."

Blaine just stared at Kurt's face with a small smile as his boyfriend ran his hand down with the zip, dipping his fingers underneath as he reached Blaine's stomach, brushing against the skin there and making Blaine's muscles jump and twitch a little.

He tipped his head back a little and closed his eyes as Kurt decided to run both of his hands over Blaine's chest to push the onesie off of his shoulders slowly.

"Ungh..." The sound came out of nowhere as Kurt's fingers slowly dragged the material down his arms. As the polar bear onesie left his hands, the rest of it fell down his legs to pool at his feet, leaving him standing just in his dark blue boxer briefs and white socks.

Kurt took a step back to look at Blaine from head to toe, reveling in the image as he bit his bottom lip. 

"You're so gorgeous. I can't believe you're mine." He said before placing his hands on Blaine's chest again. 

He kissed Blaine's cheek and lowered his lips back to Blaine's neck and right shoulder, while his thumb lightly pressed his right nipple. When Kurt moved to the other shoulder, wetting all the way with his tongue, he put his other thumb on Blaine's left nipple. 

All the touches were subtle, as if Kurt was touching something delicate and wanted to worship it.

Blaine's hands ran over Kurt's arms and then up to his shoulders while Kurt left a trail of heat and moisture down his neck, and he shivered as Kurt's finger circled over his nipples.

He ran his hands over Kurt's chest, fingers going to the buttons on Kurt's silk pyjama top to undo them slowly, one at a time.

"Darling, your hands feel so good on me." He said in a whisper, cutting off into a groan as Kurt's teeth nipped a line along his jaw.

Kurt couldn't stop kissing all the skin within his reach. He let Blaine unbutton his pyjama top as his mouth continued to devour his boyfriend's neck. 

His hands left Blaine's chest and moved to his back. He pulled them up to the base of Blaine's neck, and then he began to slide them extremely slowly, pressing with his fingertips until he reached the small of Blaine's back, where they rested momentarily.

Blaine pulled away from Kurt's mouth until his lips left his neck, and he tilted his head to crash their lips together. It was a passionate kiss, but it was gentle. Blaine let Kurt take over from that, as he continued unbuttoning Kurt's shirt and then slowly took it off.

As Blaine's mouth opened for Kurt's tongue, they both moaned against each other. Blaine pushed into Kurt's hands that were on the bottom of his back, arching his spine.

Still kissing each other, Kurt placed his hands on Blaine's hips and moved slightly forward. Blaine got the idea and walked backwards until his legs touched the bed. 

At that moment, Kurt pulled away and looked at Blaine, his eyes completely darkened and his lips swollen from the kisses. 

"Lie down, sweetheart." He whispered, and Blaine obeyed, flopping onto the bed. 

Kurt stood at the foot of the bed, and aware that Blaine was staring at him, he tucked his thumbs under the waistband of his pants and slid them gently down his legs. He took off his socks and Blaine's as well before lying on top of him, pressing their bare chests together. 

Kurt brought a hand up to Blaine's face and stroked it gently. 

"I love you." He said, his voice low with desire.

"I love you too." Blaine managed to choke out before throwing his head back against the pillow, moaning loudly as Kurt thrust down against him again.

Then Kurt moved to the foot of the bed, causing Blaine to lift his head in confusion from the lack of contact. Kurt looked at him with a small smile.

"It's okay, honey. I just want to make you enjoy a little more."

With that said, he leaned down and began to kiss the sole of Blaine's right foot, from the toes to the heel, and worked his way up the inner part of the leg, very slowly, giving little kisses and licks until he reached the area covered by Blaine's underwear.

Once there, he stopped for a few seconds to study Blaine's face.

Blaine's eyes were half-lidded and dark with want, looking down at Kurt. His mouth was open as his chest was rising and falling rapidly.

"Do you like this?" Kurt asked before moving down again and grabbing Blaine's left foot, his eyes locked on his, waiting for confirmation.

"It's different…" Blaine said with a smile, eyes still dark, "but I like it, yeah. God...you're so beautiful."

Kurt grinned at that and then began kissing his way up Blaine's other leg as Blaine moaned loudly.

When he got to the top, Kurt was about to start pacing Blaine's abdomen with his mouth, but he thought better of it. With a mischievous look, he tucked his fingertips under the waistband of Blaine's boxers.

"I'm not taking these off you now." He said. "But there is something I want to do."

Kurt looked at Blaine's erection, perfectly marked through his tight boxer briefs, and fixing his darkened blue eyes back on Blaine's face, he reached down and ran his tongue up the length of his erection, over the fabric.

"Ungh…oh, fuck..."

Moans and mixed words came out of Blaine's mouth, most of them all jumbled together as if he couldn't decide on a word to describe the intense pleasure that ran up his spine. 

One of Blaine's hands ran down his own abdomen and then lightly touched Kurt's cheek, stroking it gently before his fingers ran through Kurt's hair.

"Baby...ah...sh- so good..."

The noises coming from Blaine's throat were too hot to stop there, so Kurt repeated the move, this time even slower and pressing more with his tongue, and when he reached the tip, he put his open mouth on it and sucked lightly.

"Ah!" Blaine cried out loudly, his hips pushing up slightly to get more pressure from Kurt's mouth.

Pleasure and heat shot down his spine, and Blaine's toes curled as he could feel his abdominal muscles clench with the feeling.

"Kurt...darling, I'm getting close. Ah..." Blaine's hips kept moving gently up and down as Kurt moved over the material of his underwear, lips and tongue pressing harder.

Then Kurt moved until he was on top of Blaine, their chests and legs together. He knew his boyfriend was close and so was he; the simple fact of hearing Blaine moan under his attentions had made him hard too.

He kissed Blaine, his tongue rapidly entering Blaine's mouth as he grinded down at a steady pace.

Blaine's legs wrapped around Kurt's hips tightly, as his arms did the same over his shoulders, trapping them together as they kissed.

He gasped and groaned into Kurt's mouth, barely having any sense of where he was or what he was doing. The amount of pleasure he was in right now was clouding his mind.

As Kurt's erection brushed his, Blaine could feel the dampness of his underwear drag along the skin of his cock, and he groaned loudly as he came.

His mouth hung open slightly as Kurt was still kissing him, his whole body shaking with the aftershock of his orgasm.

Kurt smirked against Blaine's mouth when he felt his boyfriend come, and with that thought and the feeling of Blaine in every part of his body, he thrusted down a few more times until he felt an intense spark as the orgasm swept through him, and he could only gasp before burying his face in Blaine's neck.

Blaine lay underneath Kurt silently for a few moments, catching his breath, his heart thudding painfully in his chest. After his breathing evened out, he gave a little sigh and smiled as he tightened his arms around Kurt, keeping his boyfriend against his chest.

"Wow, honey...just wow." He said softly.

Kurt chuckled against Blaine's neck. He felt too exhausted to move an inch, and was so comfortable lying on Blaine while his boyfriend held him close.

He didn't know if Blaine felt the same need to stay as close as possible after sex or if he knew it was important to Kurt and he just did it, but he was grateful either way.

When a couple of minutes later his heart rate had returned to normal, he gathered enough strength to lift his head and look at Blaine.

"Hi." He whispered with a shy and mischievous smile.

"Hi, beautiful." Blaine responded with a loving smile, moving one hand to the back of Kurt's hair and stroking his fingertips through it slowly.

Kurt leaned into the gentle touch before shifting slightly until he could rest his chin on Blaine's chest.

"I'm sorry I ended our Twister game early." He bit his lips to contain a laugh.

"I think we played a better game here, one that we could both win." Blaine smirked as Kurt laughed.

"Yeah, that's right."

Kurt placed one of his hands on Blaine's arm, where he began to trace random patterns with his fingers.

"You're amazing, do you know that?" He asked, looking at Blaine sweetly.

"You're the amazing one." Blaine replied with a smile, "you made us a pyjama party, we played board games, we had pizza. The night has been incredible, thank you so much. I've had a lot of fun."

"You're welcome." Kurt blushed a little.

He moved his face so he could give a couple of kisses to Blaine's chest before returning to the same position.

"I was going to tell you that we still have a lot of games to play and that I've bought ice-cream, but I don't want to move. I just want to stay in this bed with you, I hope you're okay with that." He said in his best serious voice.

"I'm okay with that." Blaine replied with a smile as he folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, "so okay with that."

"We have a deal then." Kurt pressed his cheek to Blaine's skin, lightly brushing it until he was still, his eyes closed and his hands on Blaine's sides.

After a few minutes of silence, Kurt spoke again.

"Baby? Are you asleep?"

"No. Just comfortable."

"Do you want me to move? Am I too heavy?" Kurt asked.

"No, you're fine." Blaine snuggled down into the pillows and mattress a little more before sighing happily.

"Okay, but if you see that I fall asleep on top of you, move me. I don't want you to meet my parents with back pain tomorrow." Kurt said, and as if he just remembered something, he raised his head to look at Blaine. "You're gonna to meet my parents tomorrow!" He exclaimed with a big smile.

Blaine opened his eyes and looked down at Kurt's face with a big grin.

"Yes, I am."

"I'm so excited." Kurt climbed up a bit so he could kiss Blaine on the lips. "My dad is wonderful, he's the best man in the world. And Carole is adorable, although she likes to touch and give a lot of hugs. She's like the mommy version of Dylan. I know you don't mind when I do that, but I want to warn you."

"I would love a hug from her, I like hugs." Blaine said with a smile, reassuring his boyfriend as he pulled his arms down and cupped both sides of Kurt's face, stroking both cheeks with his thumbs. "They're your family, so whatever affection they show me, I'll show it back."

"You're my family too." Kurt replied without thinking, but then his eyes widened. "Is that too much?" He asked with concern.

"No, never too much." Blaine said with a smile, a soft look in his eyes as he stared into Kurt's concerned blue ones, "I think of you as my family too now."

"Do you?" Kurt reached up to touch Blaine's hair, sliding his fingers through his curls as his eyes sparkled.

"Of course, isn't it obvious?" Blaine pushed himself up a little bit, forcing Kurt to sit up a little too, and leaned in closer, "I love you, Kurt. You're my best friend, my first love, my soulmate, my boyfriend...you're it for me. You're my family."

Kurt felt his heart pounding against his chest. He took a deep breath before wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck and resting his forehead on his. 

"You're all that for me too." Kurt said, nuzzling Blaine's nose. "And just so you know, since we're family, I'd love to, well... meet your parents... one day." He added, a little hesitant.

"My...?" Blaine stopped as he froze, and the smile on his face became tight, "let's focus on this weekend first, huh?" 

He moved out from underneath Kurt, placing a kiss on his lips as he got up. 

"Sorry, baby, I need the bathroom." He smiled a little apologetically before walking out of Kurt's bedroom and heading to the bathroom.

When Kurt heard the bathroom door close, he closed his eyes and dropped his head. 

Why had he had to mention Blaine's parents? He knew there was something wrong with them, that there was a reason Blaine never talked about anyone other than Brooke, but of course he had to ruin the moment and ask about them. 

A part of him was hurt that Blaine didn't want to talk to him about it, but his boyfriend had been nothing but understanding since they met, especially with the whole Jamie thing. The least he could do was respect his wishes and give him time.

Blaine came back from the bathroom about 5 minutes later, and gave Kurt a softer looking smile. As he looked at Kurt's face, he could see he was worried and a little cautious, and Blaine didn't want that look in his boyfriend's eyes. 

He gave Kurt a bigger grin as he walked back to the bed and then jumped and bounced over Kurt, trying to lighten the mood.

Kurt giggled when Blaine fell on top of him, forcing him to lie on his back on the bed. He quickly wrapped his arms around Blaine's back, drawing him to his body. 

"Are you okay?" He asked, because it was the only thing he needed to know.

"Yeah, I'm okay, sorry. I really needed to go." Blaine said as he buried his face in Kurt's neck, kissing the skin softly. 

He nuzzled his way down a little more, making Kurt laugh as his lips tickled his neck and then the top of his shoulder.

"You're tickling me, stop." Kurt said with a chuckle, but not really trying to push Blaine away.

"Are you ticklish?" Blaine asked with a devious grin before pulling away from Kurt's neck and using his fingers to poke at Kurt's sides gently.

Kurt squirmed on the bed, rolling back and forth as Blaine continued to tickle him. 

"Stop, please, stop!" He screamed, tears of laughter in his eyes.

Blaine laughed and turned with him as he tried to squirm away, but as Kurt's legs kicked at him gently trying to get him away, Blaine lost his balance and fell off of the bed, making a big thud on the floor.

Kurt quickly leaned over the edge of the bed. 

"Baby, are you okay? Are you hurt?" He sounded concerned, but he was actually holding back not to laugh even more.

Blaine was lying on his back on the floor, but he was grinning up at Kurt. 

"I'm okay." He said, holding back a laugh too.

Then Kurt rolled off the bed and flopped onto Blaine with a giggle. 

"If you jump, I jump." He claimed with a bright smile.

Blaine let out a loud laugh and then rolled Kurt over on the floor, sitting up on his knees and settling his butt down on Kurt's thighs. 

"You know what I want to do?" He asked, and as Kurt ran his hands over his thighs, he smiled, "I want to go and eat the ice-cream you got us, and snuggle in our pyjamas for the rest of the night."

"Sounds like a plan. Can you help me get up, please?" Kurt asked with a pout, and Blaine quickly stood up and held out his hand to Kurt. "Thank you." 

They picked up their pyjamas from the floor, and Kurt couldn't contain a smile as he watched Blaine put his polar bear onesie back on. 

"Now I feel bad for leaving it on the floor, it's so white and fluffy." He said as he pulled on his pants.

"Very fluffy." Blaine said as he zipped it up, "but it might need a wash later if it gets come on it."

Kurt finished buttoning his shirt and after putting on his socks, he headed to the kitchen. 

"You can use my washing machine. You're going to be here all weekend, and you know I want you to make yourself at home." He explained, looking back to see if Blaine was following him.

"You really want me here all weekend?" Blaine asked as he followed after Kurt with an awed expression on his face.

"Well, yes, of course." Kurt replied as if it were obvious. "I still don't know what my parents want to do tomorrow, but they're staying in a hotel nearby and I assumed that you would spend the night here, so on Sunday we would go together to Finn and Brooke's house and then to the airport. But if you have something else to do, it's totally okay." He opened the freezer and focused on pulling out different tubs of ice-cream.

Blaine grabbed Kurt, who squeaked in surprise when he spun him around. Blaine took the ice-cream from him and quickly tossed it onto the counter before wrapping his arms around Kurt's shoulders and kissing him desperately. 

Kurt shivered and gasped at the passion that kiss contained, but as he opened his lips, Blaine's tongue pushed inside to wrap around his own. It was fast and hot, and Kurt barely had any time to really start responding before Blaine pulled away with a laugh. 

His wide smile showed off all of his front teeth and it looked so radiant that Kurt could only stare at him for a moment. Blaine leaned in to place his nose against Kurt's cheek, just resting it there slightly. 

"It's so amazing how you can fit me into your plans so completely." He softly told him, in a quiet and almost breathless whispering voice, like if he spoke any louder, someone would hear him, but nobody else was there and it was extremely intimate, "thank you, thank you, thank you...you have no idea how much it actually means to be included in something that I'm new at. This relationship means a lot to me, and after earlier, I thought you might pull back a little, but you didn't. You want me to stay the whole weekend with you and your family...I'm speechless. I don't know how to put words to my feelings right now, but I'm incredibly happy."

Kurt didn't know what to say for a moment. Blaine's words contained so many emotions that he didn't know how to process them. 

For him, wanting to be with his boyfriend and wanting him to be part of any family event was normal. It was what he had spent years trying to achieve with Jamie and never could... but it was true that the intimacy and complicity he had with Blaine was hugely superior. 

Kurt needed Blaine, he wanted to be with him every minute, and when they weren't together, he was thinking about him. He didn't know if it was part of being soulmates or that he had never loved someone so much, or both. 

But there was Blaine, glued to him like he was the luckiest man in the world to have him, and Kurt could only wrap his arms around him as tightly as his body allowed. 

"I want this." He whispered as he stroked Blaine's back. "I want you to be a part of every aspect of my life. You don't have to say anything, you don't have to talk about something you don't want to, but I'm not going to pull back. You're stuck with me, you should know that."

Blaine smiled as he nuzzled their noses together for a moment before grabbing the ice-cream tubs from the counter. 

"If you keep on making me feel at home here, I'm never going to leave." He said with a little teasing smile, "okay, we should go and snuggle before this ice-cream melts."

'Then never leave', Kurt thought, but he didn't say it. They had been together for less than 20 days, this wasn't the time to make insinuations about living together. Not yet.

"Good. I have to go to the bathroom now, I'm a little uncomfortable down there." He giggled. "But choose the ice-cream you want and wait for me in the living room, okay?" 

Kurt kissed the tip of Blaine's nose and headed to the bathroom.

"Okay." Blaine gave him a knowing grin, and then he chose a tub and headed for the couch.

When Kurt came back from the bathroom, he found Blaine curled up on the couch with a tub of vanilla ice-cream with chocolate chips in hand. He sat and laughed when he saw that Blaine had ice-cream spots around his mouth. 

"Come here, you're worse than a kid." He reached over and wiped it with his thumb before bringing it to his mouth. "It's good."

"Etiquette is out the window when we're in private, baby." Blaine grinned and blew him a kiss before patting the space beside him.

Kurt picked up the spoon that Blaine had left on the table and sat even closer to him, resting his head on Blaine's shoulder and scooping up some ice-cream.

He smiled at Blaine as he lifted the spoon to his boyfriend's mouth, and Blaine smiled as well as he took the bite of ice-cream, and then he took the spoon from Kurt to feed him a bite of it too. 

They spent the rest of the night feeding each other, and chatting and laughing together on the couch. Once the ice-cream was finished, they decided they should get some sleep, but first they stood side by side in the bathroom brushing their teeth.

Still smiling at each other, they climbed into bed and cuddled together until they fell asleep.


	27. Chapter 27

When a new group of passengers came out of the airport arrival gates but his parents weren't among them, Kurt snorted. Their fight had landed 20 minutes ago, and he didn't think they had checked luggage for a weekend, so he didn't know why they were taking so long.

He wasn't the most patient person in the world, especially when he was nervous. Not about seeing his parents and hugging them, that just made him excited, but because of the man next to him, who also seemed a bit anxious.

"Shouldn't they be here already?" Kurt asked for the fifth time in the last few minutes.

Blaine was fidgeting with his hands as he stood next to Kurt, watching for anyone that he recognized out of the sea of people going past them.

"Well, maybe they needed the toilet or something." He said in way of explanation, giving Kurt a smile, "don't worry, darling. I'm sure they'll be here soon."

Kurt grunted but he didn't say anything else. Finally, 10 minutes later and in the background of a large group of people, Kurt saw his father, and started waving enthusiastically.

When Burt saw him, he grinned and pointed Carol where to go.

Kurt glanced at Blaine, who by the look in his face had also recognized them.

"Are you ready?" He asked, squeezing his hand to convey reassurance.

Blaine nodded and didn't say anything, giving Kurt a nervous grin as he pulled him along.

Kurt only let go of his hand when his parents came up to them.

"Dad!" He exclaimed before throwing himself into his father's arms.

"Buddy, I missed you." Burt said loudly, with a huge smile as he wrapped his arms around his son, hugging him tightly, "how's things, you doing good?"

As Kurt pulled away, he smiled at his father.

"Yeah, I'm doing great." Kurt shot a quick glance at Blaine before turning to Carole. "Carole!" He said, immediately wrapping his arms around the woman.

"Hi, honey. I'm so glad to see you." She held him in her arms, and before letting him go, she repeatedly kissed his cheek.

Then Kurt pulled away from her and motioned for Blaine to come closer.

"Well, guys, I want to introduce you to someone. I know you already met him at Finn and Brooke's wedding, but it was a long time ago and..." Kurt trailed off when he realized he was starting to chatter. "This is Blaine. Blaine, these are my parents, Burt and Carole."

Blaine smiled widely, as charming as he could because he was a little nervous as Burt's eyes focused on him. 

He held out his hand to Burt, who shook it with a smile. 

"It's so great to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Hummel. Kurt's told me a lot about you both and I was excited to get to see you." Blaine said as he turned to Carole with his hand out, but he was surprised when Carole only smiled at him and then pulled him into her arms instead.

"Call me Burt, kid, none of this Mr. Hummel crap." Burt told him with a small grin.

"Exactly. I'm just Carole. And we're very excited to see you too." Carole said when she released him. "Someone has spoken highly of you."

Kurt blushed slightly before taking Blaine's hand in his again.

"There's no need to talk about that now. You guys are probably hungry after the flight, and Blaine had the idea to take you to have breakfast." He looked at his father, who didn't miss a detail of what was happening and looked at their joined hands with curiosity.

"Yeah, I did. My treat, because you came all this way." Blaine told them with a smile, squeezing Kurt's hand in his, "but I guess you guys need to drop off your luggage at the hotel first."

Burt nodded and grabbed the bags.

"That's very sweet of you, buddy." He said with a smile as he and Carole began to gather their things.

Blaine let go of Kurt's hand and walked forward to take one of the suitcases from Carole.

"Allow me, Carole."

"Oh, sweetheart, you don't have to do that." She tried, but when he saw that Blaine wasn't going to change his mind, she just smiled at him tenderly. "Quite a gentleman, thank you."

Kurt grinned at the scene and followed them out of the airport, his father walking beside him.

"Why did it take you so long since the flight landed? We were worried." He asked.

Burt laughed.

"Oh, I forgot one of the bags on the plane, so we had to wait until everyone was off to ask an attendant to go back and get it."

Blaine was talking to Carole in front of them as they all walked out of the airport, and she was giggling at something Blaine was saying.

"Jeez, dad, if you didn't have your head attached to your body, you'd lose it anywhere." Kurt laughed.

They all made it to the car, and Kurt and Blaine took care of putting the bags in the trunk while Burt and Carole sat in the back seats.

Before getting in the car, Kurt looked at Blaine with a smile.

"I knew they were going to like you. Carole already loves you more than me." He joked.

"I'm just trying to be charming." Blaine said with a shrug, "do you think I'm trying too hard?" He gave him a nervous look.

Kurt walked around the car to get to him, and cupped Blaine's face with his hand.

"Not at all. I know you're acting from the heart, and it means a lot to me." He assured him, looking Blaine in the eye.

"Thanks." Blaine blushed a little as he gave Kurt a quick kiss before Kurt went back around the car and they both climbed in.

The drive to the hotel was nice. Burt and Carole told them that the flight had been pleasant despite they had shown a lousy movie, and that the two of them had been so busy lately that they appreciated the change of scenery this weekend.

"You work too hard, dad, I've told you hundreds of times." Kurt said when they got to the hotel, as Carole hurried over to the counter for checking-in.

"Buddy, I have to work, the shop is busy right now." Burt laughed and clapped his son on the shoulder.

Blaine grinned at Kurt's pouting face.

"Maybe if you hired employees you trust, you could take it easier." Kurt muttered before looking at Blaine. "Finn and I used to help him while we were in high school, and we worked harder than most."

"You worked in a car garage, how did I not know this information?" Blaine asked curiously, trying not to think about Kurt in overalls with grease on his cheek, "that sounds like a very dirty place to work for someone in the fashion business." 

Burt laughed out loud. 

"Oh, if Kurt had his way back then, he would have all of my staff wearing expensive designer overalls." He said, and Blaine laughed with him.

"Stop messing with me, both of you!" Kurt protested, though he ended up laughing too. "I've never had a problem getting my hands dirty when it comes to work... but it wouldn't hurt to change those horrible overalls, dad." 

Blaine and Burt were still laughing when Carol arrived. 

"You'll be happy to know that our room is ready, so we can go to leave the bags." 

Blaine moved to take them, but Carole was faster this time. 

"No need, honey, the elevator is right there. You guys wait here, Burt and I will take two minutes."

Blaine stepped back beside Kurt with a laugh, and took Kurt's hand again as they watched Burt and Carole walk into the elevator. 

"Your dad's such a hoot." He told Kurt with a smile, "and Carole is sweet. I like them."

"Really?" Kurt asked hopefully, and when he saw that Blaine's smile that could light up the darkest night, he knew he meant it. "God, I'm so glad you guys are getting along... even though I don't know what I think about you and my dad teaming up against me. For the record, I was really good with cars."

"Oh, I believe it." Blaine replied moving a little closer, "I was just trying not to picture you in overalls underneath a car, all sweaty and greasy..." 

Blaine bit his lip as he stared at Kurt with dark eyes.

"Please, tell me you don't have a fantasy about that, because I can promise you that me in overalls was the least erotic thing ever." Kurt replied as he put an arm around Blaine's shoulders.

"Oh, I don't think so, beautiful, you would look so hot..." Blaine grinned at him cheekily, "it wasn't a fantasy of mine, but it is now." 

Before Kurt could respond, Burt and Carole reappeared and Blaine instantly wiped the wanting look off of his face to give them a smile. 

"So are you ready to go get some food?" He asked them, and Carole slipped her arm through Blaine's with a smile. 

Burt grunted in amusement. 

"Looks like I've lost my wife for a couple of hours." He laughed at Blaine's worried look.

"You won't be that lucky." Carole replied quickly, and Blaine and Kurt chuckled.

They walked to a nearby cafe that Kurt knew, where they all ordered pancakes and coffee. They ate breakfast chatting non-stop and with lots of laughter. Carole asked Blaine about work while Burt did the same with Kurt, and then they all talked about Finn, Brooke, the kids and the new pregnancy. 

By the time they left the cafe, everyone was satiated and excited, and they decided to take a walk, since Burt and Carole hadn't seen New York for a long time and the weather was good. 

Kurt made to take Blaine's hand as they walked, but Burt moved to stand beside him. 

"Buddy, I think Carole needs help with some clothes she wants to buy, why don't you hang out with her for a few minutes?" 

"Dad..." Kurt warned him, looking a little concerned at Blaine.

"It's alright, I can keep your dad company." Blaine said as he took Kurt's hand and squeezed it before releasing him. 

Kurt still looked unsure until Blaine grinned and winked at him.

"Okay." Kurt ended up agreeing, but before meeting Carole a few steps back, he shot his father a 'be nice' look that made Blaine smile. 

"Well..." Burt started when he was sure Kurt couldn't hear them. "Kurt seems happy, and I have to thank you for that."

"You don't have to thank me, sir." Blaine gave him a smile as they walked, "he makes me happy too."

"I'm glad to hear that." Burt said honestly. "I guess Kurt has told you that I know some stuff about your relationship... I know that you're soulmates, and it's something that reassures me, because I've always wanted Kurt to find his, even when he stopped believing in them."

"Yeah, I know Kurt has spoken to everyone about it." Blaine responded a little curiously. "I'm actually glad he has such a good support system around him so that he can ask for advice."

"I hope you know that you can also come to us if you need anything. I mean it, Blaine. You're important to Kurt, so you're important to us too." Burt stated looking into his eyes.

Blaine was entirely speechless as he stared at Kurt's father. That man was absolutely incredible, exactly the way Kurt and Finn had always described him. 

He smiled softly. 

"Thanks, Burt, I appreciate that."

"You're welcome, kid. Now... I hope you don't mind, but I have to ask. I know my son and I've seen how he looks at you... I've never seen him like this before, not even with that other boyfriend of his. You... well... are you just enjoying the feeling of being soulmates or do you really want to have a future with him?" Burt managed to say, clearly uncomfortable.

Blaine furrowed his eyebrows a little at the question. It wasn't something he let himself think about very often, if at all, because even though they were soulmates and in love, he and Kurt hadn't really talked about the future yet. 

Apart from the odd comments of kids and marriage. 

He smiled to himself as he thought of a future with Kurt. Living together, married, surrounded by kids... 

"Well, even though we've only been together for a little while, I can picture myself with Kurt forever." Blaine said quietly, "I want that, I want everything with him."

"Listen, Blaine, I don't need you to sign a piece of paper making sure you and Kurt will get married one day. You're just starting out, and I want you to take it slow." Burt patted his back with a grin. "But I experienced what it's like to meet your soulmate when I met Kurt's mother, and I know it's very easy to go crazy and get carried away without thinking about anything else. I just need to know that you guys talk about everything and want the same thing, so no one gets hurt."

"Kurt and I have already learned our lessons about communicating. We always talk about what we both want." Blaine reassured him, "I would never push Kurt to do anything he didn't want to."

"And I believe you, but I also hope you tell him if he pushes you. My son's a romantic, he inherited that from his mom, and he needs someone with their feet on the ground." Burt explained with a small smile.

"I'll make sure we're both thoughtful with each other and that we're on the same page." Blaine promised him with a smile, and Burt put an arm around his shoulders.

"I have to say that I like you. Carole was a bit worried when I told her I wanted to talk to you today, but from the first time Kurt spoke about you, I knew it was serious, and I'm happy you're the one."

"Thank you." 

Blaine beamed at his boyfriend's dad. He'd never known people as accepting as Kurt's family. It was amazing and made him feel warm and protected.

When Kurt took his eyes off Carole for a moment and saw his dad with his arm around Blaine's shoulders and his boyfriend smiling at him, he calmed down a bit. 

"Blaine's still alive and they seem to like each other." Kurt told Carole, interrupting their conversation about clothes that, to be honest, he hadn't been paying a lot of attention to, too concerned about what was going on in front of them.

"You know, when I first saw him, I wanted to squeeze the life out of him. He's so cute, Kurt." Carole said to him with a small smile, "how are you guys doing now? Your dad told me you had some trouble a few weeks back."

"He's really cute, right?" Kurt giggled a bit before turning serious and looking at Carole. "We're so good now, Carole, I didn't know that I could be this happy. I think the situation overwhelmed us a little at first and we didn't know how to talk about it or how to act, but everything's great now. I want to be with him all the time, it's ridiculous."

"Aww, honey, that's great." Carole patted his arm, that was still through hers, "I'm glad you're so happy now. That's all me and your dad wanted, for our children to be happy."

"And Finn and I love you two for that." Kurt leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "Do you think we should catch up to them now?"

Carole and Kurt hurried a little to stop by their side, Kurt immediately wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's shoulders from behind, making Blaine laugh. Carole took Burt's hand in hers, and Kurt told them that Carole wanted to go shopping, so maybe they should go now and have lunch afterwards. 

Burt grumbled, but one look from Carole made him agree to the plan, and they all headed into the city shopping district, and began looking around different stores for Carole's tastes. She gasped every time Kurt came up to her with something he found. Everything around them was so chic and beautiful, and Kurt knew that she loved it.

Burt saw with amusement as his wife gushed over the outfits his son was picking out, and he stood back and watched them for a while. Blaine was attached to Kurt's side for most of the shopping trip. They held hands as they walked from store to store, Kurt gushed at Blaine when he made a comment on some clothes for either him or his boyfriend, and Blaine's smile was wide and happy.

They also hugged at every opportunity. Burt had never seen Kurt more open than he was right now. His son had never been a physically affectionate kid, and as he grew older, he guarded himself even more. Burt and Carole got hugs, sure, but they were his parents.

Burt had never seen him hug his friends, or his last boyfriend. He had only met that guy twice, but Kurt was different with Blaine. And Blaine seemed to respond to every touch too, like it had a calming effect on him. 

He watched on as Carole ran to go and try on something Kurt had just handed to her, and he stood in the exact same place, staring at his son and his soulmate. Kurt leaned over to whisper something to Blaine, who nodded at him and gave him a wide smile again, and Kurt proceeded to give him a quick kiss on the lips and then hugged him tightly. Burt was astonished and also happy that his son could be himself, open and vulnerable with Blaine. 

But there was something still troubling him. Burt knew that their relationship might seem all fun, and games, and love now, but soon enough they would be headed to serious territory, and Blaine could make all the promises in the world to him, but it didn't stop him from worrying about his son. 

Kurt seemed to have his head in the clouds right now, too focused on affection and love to come down to the real world. He sighed as he watched them separate as Carole came back to them, and he made his way over to them as they all moved to the next section. 

He would probably need to have a serious chat with his son today. 

After shopping, Carole exclaimed she was so excited that she had four new outfits to pick from already, and she couldn't wait to wear them. Kurt had made his dad buy her some new shoes and a couple of jackets too, which he and Blaine helped carry back to the hotel they were staying in. 

Once Burt and Carole reappeared back from their room, where they had left all of the shopping bags in to sort through later, Kurt made everyone climb back into his car and took them to a local restaurant he loved, so that they could all sit and have lunch. 

He tried to make his dad order a side salad, but he finally let him have a bacon sandwich, feeling too happy to rag his dad about his health. Carole, Blaine and Kurt all had a chicken salad each. 

Once everyone had their drinks, two iced teas and two coffees, they started chatting about Brooke and the baby again, about how exciting it was and how shocked everyone had been when they found out. 

Burt stared at Blaine a little over the table, receiving a nervous grin back from the kid every time he looked at him, before glancing anywhere but at Burt's face. It amused him to see that Blaine was a little intimidated by him; he could play on that later.

After Carole asked Blaine if he liked New York, Burt thought it was a good time to know a little more about him. 

"You used to live in Virginia, right, Blaine?" He asked. "It's a big change to come to New York, I can't imagine spending more than a weekend here. Why did you decide to move?"

"Things weren't right for me there." Blaine answered a little vaguely, but with a smile, "and I wanted to be closer to my sister."

"Oh, did you have any work problems?" Burt insisted, earning a warning look from his son and his wife.

Blaine's smile turned a little tighter, but he still answered Burt.

"Erm...no, work was fine. It was something more personal."

"Wow, it had to be serious enough for you to move to another state. Are you wanted by the police?" Burt joked. 

That's when Kurt stood up, making everyone at the table look at him. 

"Dad, can we talk outside for a second, please?" He asked with obvious tension in his voice.

Blaine looked at Kurt a little worriedly, and Carole was glaring at Burt as he sighed and stood up to follow his son. 

Once they were outside the restaurant, Kurt turned to glare at his father.

"Can you explain to me what you are doing? Didn't you question him enough before?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I didn't ask Blaine any questions before, but I thought I should get to know him a little better. What's wrong with that?" Burt told him, having no idea what exactly he did wrong.

"You already talked to him before we went shopping, and it seemed like you were getting along. I don't understand why you insist so much on the fact that he moved to New York when it's clear that it makes him feel uncomfortable." Kurt relaxed his tone a bit as he looked at his dad.

"How am I supposed to know what questions make him feel uncomfortable, Kurt? I barely know him. All I know about him is what Finn told me before, and that wasn't much." Burt said with a shrug, "I just want to know the guy my son is dating."

"He told you it was personal, that should have been enough. Even I don't know the whole story, so please let it be." Kurt sighed, running a hand over his face.

"So do you know the reason why he left Virginia?" Burt asked curiously.

"Yes, I do. He told me about it before we were together. It's... complicated, and I insist that I don't know all the details." Kurt explained, leaning against the wall next to the restaurant door.

Burt sighed. 

"You two seem to be moving ahead fast for not having all the details of each other's lives." He said gently, but as Kurt glared at him, he raised his hands, "I'm not saying it to be mean or anything, it's just what I noticed."

"Dad, you were the one who told me not to be afraid and not to run from love. You told me that I had to believe in soulmates, and that's what I'm doing!" Kurt exclaimed with wide eyes. "Now you want me to back off?"

"No, of course I don't want you to back off. I'm just saying you have to keep your feet on the ground too. A relationship needs substance and trust." Burt said quickly, "and it needs time to build slowly. Me and your mom, we dated for a while before we really knew we were going to be together forever." 

He hugged his son to him. 

"I just want you to build it up slowly, Kurt. Love is great, and he seems like a nice guy...but I still worry that you'll throw everything into this and then you won't have anything left."

Kurt pulled away from his dad, feeling anger building inside him. 

"I know what I'm doing, dad! And it really hurts that you think I'm not. You and mom were very young when you met, just like Finn and Brooke, but Blaine and I are not kids. We're two grown men that know what they want and that are trying their best every day to make this work!" 

He started pacing the area while shaking his head. 

"I know that Blaine and I have only been together for a very short time, and I know there are things about his life that he hasn't told me." He admitted, feeling a sting in his chest. "But I do trust him. I love him and he loves me, and that should be enough for you."

Burt nodded slowly, heaving a sigh. 

"I know you're not kids. I just can't help worrying about you, especially after what happened with Jamie. And I know it's different now because Blaine is your soulmate, but I just want you to be careful."

"I appreciate you worrying about me, but you want me to be careful if this goes wrong. You think I'm giving myself too much and then I'm going to end up with a broken heart, don't you?"

When Burt tried to speak a few times but nothing came out of his mouth, Kurt laughed humorlessly before approaching the restaurant door. 

"Wow. Thank you for giving a chance to the best thing I have."

Kurt fought back the tears that were prickling in his eyes and went back into the restaurant. When he got to the table, he put on his best smile before sitting next to Blaine, and he didn't even look at his dad when he joined them.

Burt sat down at the table and Carole glanced between them with a concerned look as Blaine had his eyes trained on Kurt's face. He could tell there was something wrong, but he wouldn't bring it up here. 

"So Blaine, do you have any friends at work now? Kurt said you've been getting along well with everyone there." Carole said, determined to change the topic of conversation. 

Blaine gave her a smile, still keeping an eye on Kurt while he answered her with a smile. 

"Yeah. Jonathan, in my department, he's the head graphic designer, so essentially my boss, but he's been really kind. I think he's a good friend to me now." 

"Oh, that's great. It's nice to have people around you that make you feel welcome." She said as she glanced at Burt.

Burt scratched his head and looked at his son, who was staring fondly at Blaine as he spoke. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and opened it to get something. 

"Speaking of feeling welcome... we wanted to thank you guys for coming to pick us up at the airport and spending the day with us, so Carole and I have bought four tickets for Wicked. It starts in just over two hours." 

Kurt looked quickly at his dad, but he was still too angry to say anything to him, so he smiled at Carole instead. 

"Aww, you didn't have to." He said, squeezing her hand over the table.

"That's incredibly generous of you two." Blaine said with a smile towards Burt and Carole both, "I haven't seen a Broadway show before." 

"Well, we wanted to give you something back." Carole said with an understanding look at Kurt, "it was your dad's idea." 

"Very kind of you, Burt." Blaine added, and Burt gave him a smile. Then Blaine stood up from his seat, "does anyone want another drink? Because I do." 

"That would be lovely. Another tea for me, please." Carole answered, and Blaine gave Kurt a look. 

"Kurt, will you come and help me bring them over?"

Kurt sighed, knowing exactly what Blaine meant by 'helping him', but he nodded anyway and followed his boyfriend to the bar.

Blaine stood at the counter and told the guy behind it their order. He took Kurt's hand in his as his boyfriend stood beside him, waiting. 

"What happened outside?" Blaine asked gently.

"Nothing." Kurt answered immediately, but as Blaine raised an eyebrow at him, he snorted. "My dad can be very stubborn sometimes, that's all."

Blaine squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile. 

"Don't turn me into the guy that comes between you and your family, Kurt, please." Blaine said pleadingly, "whatever your father said that upset you, and I can probably guess at what it was, he's going to be worried about you and he's going to ask me questions, okay?"

"I would never do that, I promise." Kurt brought Blaine's hand to his lips to kiss it. "And I understand him asking you questions, but he has to know when to stop. Besides, this isn't even about you, it's about my dad thinking I'm 15 years old and living in a cloud of love."

Blaine gave him a grin. 

"We're in a cloud of love right now." Blaine chuckled a little, "but that doesn't mean your father already trusts me to be with you. I expected worse questions than that, by the way." 

He leaned in close to Kurt and kissed his cheek before the guy behind the counter brought their drinks over. He thanked him before turning back to Kurt. 

"Just don't fight with your dad, baby, okay?" He added as they started walking back to the table, "he's come all this way to meet me, and to spend time with you. You don't have to take his words to heart, but you do have to be nice to the man."

"Of all the things I imagined for this weekend, you asking me to be nice to my dad wasn't one of them." Kurt laughed. "Don't worry, we'll be fine." 

He was a little calmer when they got back to the table. As Blaine handed Carole her drink, Kurt sat up and looked at his father. 

"It's a detail that you chose Wicked, you know how obsessed I am with that. Thank you." 

"You're welcome, buddy." Burt replied with a big smile, his shoulders relaxing as he saw his son in a better mood. 

Kurt then looked at Blaine with an expression that clearly said 'are you happy now?'

Blaine grinned back at him before they all started chatting again. 

After lunch, they all decided that they should go back to get showered and changed for going out later, so Kurt drove Burt and Carole back to their hotel and then made it back to his apartment in record time through New York traffic. 

As they walked through Kurt's apartment door, Blaine grabbed Kurt around the waist and kissed him.

Kurt smiled and responded immediately to the kiss, wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck to bring him closer to him. 

"What was that for?" He asked when Blaine broke the kiss seconds later. "I'm not complaining. We're in a hurry, but I'm willing to give up the shower in favor of a quick make-out session if you kiss me like that again."

"I just wanted to thank you for allowing me to meet your family and letting me be part of something special." Blaine grinned as he pecked the very edge of Kurt's mouth again, "and I was going to ask, since I'll be here for the weekend, and we've already been intimate with each other, and we don't have much time to get ready..." He paused, hoping Kurt would catch on to what he was suggesting.

"Do you want us to take a shower together?" Kurt asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Yeah." Blaine laughed and rubbed his hair nervously, "if that's okay with you?"

"I think I can handle it." Kurt chuckled as he grabbed Blaine's hand and led him quickly to the bathroom. 

When they got there, Kurt started unbuttoning his shirt, knowing that Blaine was staring at him. 

"You're going to see me more naked than this in a moment, you can blink." He teased him.

Blaine shook his head and then blinked rapidly, trying not to laugh at how absurd he was being. He had seen Kurt naked before, but it had been a long time ago.

He began unbuttoning his own shirt as he glanced at Kurt, who was already shirtless and working on removing his very tight jeans. Blaine could feel a happy giggle rising in his chest, but he pushed it down; this was no time to get ahead of himself. It was just a shower. 

A shower with his boyfriend. Who would be naked with him.

"I can't really believe you agreed to this, but I appreciate the view." He said as he turned to see Kurt setting the shower on and testing the water only in his underwear.

Blaine lowered his own jeans to the floor, and then, without even thinking about it, dropped his own underwear along with them.

When Kurt made sure the water had the right temperature, he took a quick look at his boyfriend's completely naked body, and after breathing deeply, he pulled down his boxers and stepped into the shower. 

Blaine joined him right away. 

"Did you really think I was going to say 'no'?" Kurt reached for the body wash and looked at Blaine curiously, trying to focus on his face.

Blaine chuckled as he stood under the water next to Kurt, getting his hair wet and watching Kurt's eyes widen slightly. 

"No, but you never know until you ask." He said as he glanced down at Kurt's body, "god, you're hot." 

He looked back up at Kurt's blushing face and wrapped one arm around his waist as he took the body wash from his hand. 

"You know you can look at me, baby, I'm not going to hide from you." He said with a smirk as he squirted some of the gel into his hand and then ran it over one of Kurt's shoulders, lathering it up into bubbles.

A soft moan escaped Kurt's lips as Blaine began to wash his shoulders. Then he finally looked down, going over every inch of Blaine's body and biting his lip as he did. 

"Your skin is amazing." Kurt picked up the body wash again, and after lathering some of it in his hands, he started rubbing Blaine's chest.

"Mine?" Blaine shook his head, "oh, no, my skin doesn't compare to yours… so smooth and soft, but firm." 

Blaine ran his own hands over Kurt's chest, spreading the gel and bubbles all over it and then down across his abdomen. 

"You wouldn't believe that, underneath all of your clothes, you're so toned and muscular. I love being the only one to see it now." He added, moving his hands back up and then down Kurt's arms all the way to his hands.

"Well, yours is smooth and firm too, and has the perfect tan... and I love how it shivers when I stroke it." 

Kurt brought his hands up to Blaine's back, gently massaging his shoulders. He leaned in slightly until his lips were next to Blaine's ear. 

"Do you know what I would love to do right now?" He whispered in his best provocative tone.

"What?" Blaine asked as he shivered from head to toe at the low voice coming from Kurt, making his dick twitch a little in anticipation. 

He moaned at Kurt's hands making their way down his back, rubbing circles into the muscles with the body wash.

Kurt's hands focused on lathering the small of Blaine's back before pulling away a bit so he could look at Blaine's face.

"Would you let me wash your hair?" He asked with a pout.

Blaine's turned on face spread into a slow easy-looking smile, and he laughed as he threw his head back. He reached over while he was still laughing and grabbed the shampoo bottle to give it to Kurt. 

"You just can't resist the curls, huh?"

"You know I can't." 

Kurt tipped the shampoo bottle until he had a good amount in his hands and brought it to Blaine's hair, which was already damp. While rubbing his scalp with his fingertips, Kurt leaned in to kiss Blaine, just a quick kiss before pulling away so he could put his full attention on what he was doing.

Blaine moaned as Kurt washed his hair, his fingers making gentle circles around his scalp and then playing softly with the ends of the curls. He smiled as he closed his eyes against the sensation. 

"This is awesome." He whispered quietly, "would you let me wash yours after?"

"Of course." Kurt replied, grinning like a fool. 

When he was satisfied with his work, he placed his hands on Blaine's shoulders so he could move him until Blaine was just below the stream of water, and Kurt raised his hands again to gently rinse Blaine's head until no trace of shampoo was left.

"Done. My baby is clean." He giggled, kissing Blaine's wet cheek.

"I am, now it's your turn." Blaine said with a grin as he brought the shampoo bottle closer again, squirting some into his hand and then brought both hands to Kurt's hair. 

He massaged the shampoo gently into his hair just like Kurt did for him, moving his fingers through the strands and then circling them against his scalp lightly.

Kurt closed his eyes and lost himself in the sensations. It was incredibly relaxing, and at the same time, knowing that Blaine was naked in front of him was exciting and made him want to reach out and touch all that skin again, even though he no longer had the excuse to wash him, so he held back.

Blaine almost moaned at the sight of Kurt tipping his head back against his hands, his throat on display for Blaine's eyes to roam over. 

He ran his hands continually through Kurt's hair, but he leaned forward slightly to place a kiss against the wet skin of Kurt's throat. 

He didn't do anything else. They couldn't get carried away there, they had somewhere else to be in about an hour. Even though Blaine's dick was becoming hard at the sight of his boyfriend, and it would be so easy to drop to his knees right now and suck him off. But he didn't. 

Once he had finished massaging all of the shampoo into Kurt's hair, he pulled him closer to him so that he was underneath the water to wash it all out. 

"There, yours is done now too." He said once Kurt was all rinsed off.

"It was so good, thank you." Kurt nuzzled Blaine's nose before reaching for the body wash again. 

He put some gel in Blaine's hand and some in his own. 

"I think from the waist down we should wash ourselves, or this is going to lead to something else." He laughed, all blushed and amused.

"It would make for very clean cocks." Blaine chuckled with a shrug, "but you're right. We don't have time." 

He grinned cheekily at Kurt's red face before washing himself, trying to ignore the fact that Kurt was doing the same next to him.

Seeing Blaine, because yeah, he was watching, rubbing his cock right next to him wasn't what Kurt needed to think of, but he couldn't think of anything else. Something told him that that exact image would make him company on many nights alone. 

He shook his head and once he finished lathering himself up, he rinsed under the water, getting out of the shower quickly to wrap himself in a towel. 

It was so hot in the shower, or they had made it that way, that Kurt felt some relief to be greeted by the cool ambience of the bathroom.

Blaine grabbed a towel after he turned the water off and dried himself off a little bit before stepping out. Then he just put it over his head and scrubbed the water off of his curls. 

"We should do this more often, it would definitely save on water." He said with a grin as he rubbed the towel over his neck, and gave Kurt a wink as he then wrapped it around his waist.

"If I had known that you were so environmentally conscious, I would have suggested it earlier." 

Kurt dried himself thoroughly with the towel, and he was about to place it around his waist when he thought about what Blaine always said to him. Kurt had to lose the embarrassment of being naked in front of his boyfriend, so he cheekily dropped the towel in the laundry basket before turning to Blaine. 

"If you need another towel for your hair, just grab it; mine dries fast." 

And naked as he was, Kurt headed to the bedroom.

Blaine watched Kurt's ass as he walked out of the bathroom, biting his lip a little. Damn. 

He threw his own towel in the laundry basket and followed after Kurt into the bedroom to grab some clothes. Kurt was still naked, looking through a drawer for some clean underwear, so Blaine walked up behind him and leaned over to press a kiss to the middle of his shoulder blades, over his spine. 

Kurt jumped a little and Blaine grinned before going over to his bag to get his underwear and clothes.

"You're annoyingly silent." Kurt chuckled as he pulled up his boxers, glancing at Blaine before he did the same.

"I couldn't help myself." Blaine said as he pulled his boxers up without hiding anything, knowing he was still half hard, "you're so annoyingly hot, I just want to bite and lick you all over." 

He winked at Kurt before adding, "but that will come in time."

"Thank you very much, that's just the image I need before meeting my parents again." 

Kurt buttoned up his jeans and before choosing a shirt, he reached over to give Blaine a light spank on his ass. 

"Oops, I couldn't help myself either." He smirked.

Blaine laughed and tugged on his own jeans, then he grabbed Kurt before he could put his shirt on and flung them both onto the bed. Kurt laughed as he struggled half-heartedly against Blaine, although he didn't really want to move away. 

Blaine placed his hands over Kurt's wrists and straddled his waist, making sure that their groins didn't have any contact because they didn't have time for that, but he wanted to play a little. 

It was strange for him. Blaine had never really had a chance to play and goof around with anybody before, but now that he had Kurt, he could feel the want for this. Love does incredible things to the person you thought you were, and brings out who you actually are. 

And Blaine had found out that he was actually quite a goofball inside. 

He blew a raspberry on Kurt's neck, making his boyfriend squeal with laughter a little more, before pulling back and staring lovingly into Kurt's blue eyes. 

"I love you, you know."

Something inside Kurt melted just from the way Blaine was looking at him. There was pure love and devotion in his eyes, and that sparkle that children's eyes had. 

He wanted to place his hands on Blaine's thighs, but since his boyfriend was still holding his wrists, he just smiled. 

"And I love you." He whispered.

Blaine leaned down as he released Kurt's wrists, cupping the sides of his face instead, and nuzzled their noses together before placing three quick kisses against Kurt's lips.

When Blaine got off him and got up, Kurt was about to drag him back to the bed, but he knew they had to finish dressing or they would be late. 

10 minutes later, they were ready, and holding hands, they went to Kurt's car to pick up Burt and Carole.

Blaine was literally bouncing in the seat next to Kurt as they pulled up outside the hotel. 

"I'm so excited, this is my very first time seeing a play." He exclaimed as he smiled at Kurt.

"Well, it's great that you have another first time with me." Kurt laughed as he leaned over the center console to kiss Blaine. 

After just a brush of their lips, Blaine opened his eyes as if something were warning him that they weren't alone, and he found Burt's face pressed against the window of the driver's side, so Kurt hadn't seen him. 

"Your dad!" He exclaimed, pulling away from Kurt, who turned around in surprise until he saw his father and now also Carole, who had joined him and was smiling fondly at them. 

"For the love of..." Kurt unlocked the doors, and Burt and Carole climbed into the back seats. "Do you know how creepy it is to watch people like that?" He asked, glancing at them in the interior mirror.

"You two were a bit late, so we decided to wait out here for you. But then you parked and didn't get out of the car, so..." Burt shut up when he felt Carole's hand on his. 

"We should go, guys. We don't want to miss the beginning of the play, do we?" Carole smiled at both of them as Blaine tried to hold back a laugh and Kurt, snorting, started the car and headed for the theater. 

They arrived in plenty of time to find their seats and chat a bit until there was complete silence and the play began. 

Kurt was totally absorbed. The cast was wonderful and the songs were perfectly executed, with so much emotion that they lied to your soul. However, every little while he couldn't help turning his head to see Blaine's face. He looked like he was in a trance... his eyes were wide and an astonished smile didn't fade from his face, and Kurt fell a little more in love with him every time he saw him so happy. 

After almost three magical hours, the play came to an end. The group left the theater with big grins and sore hands from clapping at the end. 

"I can't thank you enough for this." Blaine said looking at Burt and Carole. "It was a unique experience." 

"We're so glad you enjoyed it that much, honey." Carole replied, squeezing his shoulder tenderly. 

"It was a pleasure, kid." Burt assured him with a friendly smile. 

"Can we buy you dinner? It's the least we can do after this." Kurt offered, but Carole immediately shook her head. 

"Thanks, sweetheart, but your father and I have already talked about it. We're really tired, we woke up early and we're all having lunch at Finn and Brooke's house tomorrow, so we need to recharge our batteries before facing the kids." She explained, and Burt nodded beside her.

"You should go to have dinner somewhere, though." Burt said. "But if you could take us to the hotel first, we would appreciate it." 

Kurt and Blaine didn't insist, and they left Burt and Carole at the hotel entrance, saying 'goodbye' to them until the next day. 

"What do you want to do? Do you want us to have dinner in some fancy restaurant?" Kurt asked when they were alone.

"The truth is there's something I've wanted to talk to you about since lunch. Can we go back to your place? I may need some cuddles while doing it." Blaine sounded almost pleading, despite having a small smile on his lips. 

Kurt looked at him with some concern, trying to think what this was about, but then he smiled to reassure his boyfriend. 

"Sure, let's go home." 

The hotel was only a few minutes from his place, but it seemed like the longest time to Kurt. When he finally parked the car, he jumped quickly out of it and grabbed Blaine's hand. He didn't let go of it until they entered the apartment.

Blaine was a little more nervous than he had been in the car, and he knew Kurt could sense that. He had been thinking about this subject since Burt brought it up at lunch, and Kurt had been such a wonderful boyfriend to him that Blaine felt he deserved the truth.

The truth about his past in Virginia, and all the details surrounding it.

He gave Kurt a smile as he sat down on the couch slowly. His boyfriend followed him down, only inches from him, and Blaine was grateful for that.

"I don't really know how to start this." He said with a nervous chuckle.

Kurt immediately took his hand in his and looked at him with a smile. 

"It's me, Blaine. I'm not running away, you can tell me whatever you want, baby."

"After what your father asked me this afternoon about Virginia, I've been trying to think of a moment when I could tell you everything that happened. Then I kind of realized that now would be a good time." Blaine told him as he squeezed Kurt's hand and brought it to his chest, "we're in love, we're soulmates. That's not going to change, and neither will my past. It's only fair that you know everything."

Kurt was in shock for a moment. He wasn't expecting that, but he was pleasantly surprised that Blaine wanted to share that story with him.

He just needed to know that Blaine was sure. 

"I'm really sorry for my dad's questions, that's why I cut him off before he went even further. We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to." He said honestly, even if he really hoped Blaine did.

"I'm ready to tell you, Kurt, and I feel like I also need to. For me and for you."

Kurt nodded and moved even closer to Blaine, until their arms and legs were touching.

"Then I'm listening." He fixed his blue eyes on him and squeezed his hand.

Blaine gave him another big smile before placing a kiss on Kurt's hand. 

"So you know how all of it started, right? The drinking in bars and picking up guys...all of that."

Kurt nodded.

"Yeah...we didn't go to our regular bar that night, the night I met Marcus." Blaine started slowly, "maybe if we had, there wouldn't have been any shit for us to deal with."

He took a deep breath.

Kurt saw that this was really hard for Blaine and a part of him wanted to stop him and talk about something much more cheerful instead, but his boyfriend was right, it was something he needed to share. At least that way Kurt could help him carry that weight.

"Don't torture yourself with things you can't change, honey. Destiny can be cruel, but it does some things right too." He pointed, stroking Blaine's knuckles with his thumb.

Blaine gave him a grateful smile and a little nod before carrying on.

"Anyway, I saw him across the dance floor. This tall, broad shouldered, blonde haired handsome guy, who was holding the attention of every guy in the place. Naturally, I wanted the attention myself."

He paused again and took a short breath.

"I specifically remember ordering a beer, which was my only one that night, before walking up to him. Well, not to his face. I started dancing near him, trying to catch his attention...which worked."

Another pause and another breath, although his chest was tightening as he retold this.

"He saw me and watched me for a while...I don't remember feeling creeped out by him or anything, but the way he just stared at me, looking back on it, was the creepiest thing." He sighed, "well, I took him to my place after a few dances. He was reserved and quiet, which should have sent alarm bells off in my head, but it didn't...at least not yet."

Kurt put his arm around Blaine's shoulders, trying to comfort him.

Blaine closed his eyes as the memories hit him. Memories of humiliation and pain.

"It started off okay...I mean, I was experienced, but there were only so many things I was willing to do. We were just about to have sex when he said something really strange." He leaned into Kurt's warmth for a second to calm himself, "he told me he had never had a toy like me before...he said it so quietly and so calmly that for a second I thought I had heard him wrong. But I didn't."

He chuckled darkly.

"I should have made him leave. I should have made him grab his clothes and leave."

Kurt felt nauseous, but he made an effort to swallow the lump in his throat. He had to be strong for Blaine.

"The touches became rougher, harder...like he wanted to cause pain. Pinches, tiny slaps...they didn't really mean anything...to me, at least. I had done stuff like that before...it was the words he used that got to me. Telling me that I was pretty, asking if I've ever let someone strangle me. He kept petting my hair and calling me a good boy." He paused again, for a long moment, "he grabbed my hair then...it hurt. I tried to make him let go, but he was already fucking me by that point."

Kurt noticed Blaine was starting to shake, so he did the only thing he could. He tightened his arm around Blaine's shoulders until his head was on his chest, right over Kurt's heart.

Blaine's breath hitched a little as he took a breath in after that, but he blew it out slowly.

"I felt so humiliated and embarrassed that I was letting a guy like that fuck me, that I had let him into my home. I felt like a prostitute, like we weren't on even ground anymore." He carried on, "my mind and body wanted him gone, so I tried. I struggled with all my strength to get away from him, but nothing I tried worked, so...in the end, I had to wait for him to let go of me before I kicked him out of my apartment."

Kurt's hand stroked Blaine's back up and down, as he held back his own tears. He couldn't cry now, he didn't want to make Blaine feel even worse.

"It was only when I was alone that I really broke down. I had been so terrified...but the worst was yet to come." Blaine said in a low voice, that sounded equally sad and angry, "the guy hadn't worn a condom."

After Kurt's short, sharp gasp at the information, Blaine tried to hide his face.

"I called Nate in a panic, and I felt so dirty and used that I had a shower before he and Dylan got to mine. They let me stay with them for the night 'cause I didn't want to be alone, and the next day we went to the clinic so that I could get tested."

"Oh my god, baby..." Kurt whispered.

He was helpless, he wanted to say something that would really make Blaine feel better, but he only had anger inside him. He had never felt so much hatred towards someone in his entire life.

Blaine sniffed a little as the tears built up in his eye, and he wrapped his arms tightly around Kurt's chest, burying his face into his shirt.

"I didn't test positive for anything, but I had to take HIV antiviral medication for 4 weeks to lower the risk of me getting it, and then go back in 4 months to be tested." Blaine told him, "but don't worry, I'm fine now."

"I'm not worried about that." Kurt managed to say despite his urge to weep. 

Well, of course he was worried, but it was true that this son of a bitch transmiting a STD to Blaine was the least of his concerns. He felt ire, he felt fear, he felt sick... but all he did was tighten his embrace on the man he loved.

"After reporting what happened to the police and giving them his name and a description, I thought I could move on, that this would all be just a bad memory of a one night stand going completely wrong." He added, and then frowned as he looked down at Kurt's shirt, "but that didn't happen."

He managed to control his voice in a way that it didn't shake, but Kurt could tell that these memories were painful and Blaine was struggling to tell him.

"I would be walking to work, or driving through the town, or spending time with Nate and Dylan, and I would swear I saw him out of the corner of my eye. But when I turned, he wasn't there." Blaine laughed, but not in an amusing way, "I thought I was losing my mind. I had to be to keep seeing an image of this guy around my home."

"But you weren't, right?" Kurt asked. "He was there."

"He was." Blaine sat up and nodded at Kurt sadly, "he was following me, figuring out where I go and who I talk to. He was actually stalking me."

Blaine had already hinted at this the first time he told him about it, but hearing him say it clearly sent a chill through Kurt.

"So you reported him to the police again." He said.

"I reported his stalking to the police, yeah, but because I didn't know his last name or where he lived, it was hard for them to find him to warn him about it." Blaine said, with a shrug, "I told the police that I wanted to set a restraining order against him, but I didn't have any details of him, so they couldn't do it."

He shook his head.

"Then he followed me a little less. He knew I had gone to the police about him, I know he did." He said with a frown, "but it didn't stop. And one day, it got a little too far."

"Did he try to assault you again?" Kurt asked with a trembling voice.

"I have no idea if that's what he was trying to do, but he tried to break into my apartment."

Kurt felt like he couldn't breathe, it seemed like the air wasn't reaching his lungs anymore. That guy, the one who had done that to Blaine, had tried to break into his apartment to... to what? Each option he imagined was worse than the last. He stifled a sob as he just pulled Blaine closer in his arms.

Blaine accepted the embrace from Kurt, and he just sighed against his neck before continuing with his story in a small voice.

"He was kicking the door and shouting at me through it, wanting me to let him in. I called the police and then I called Nate. He turned up just as the police were arresting him, and I finally got my restraining order because now they knew who he was."

"I can't even imagine how you felt, it's terrible... I'll always be grateful that you had Nate and Dylan." Kurt mumbled, his cheek rubbing the top of Blaine's head.

"It wasn't over, though. Even after being arrested and with a restraining order, he still kept trying to get to me." Blaine sighed again as he pulled back, "he came to my apartment again and told me through the door that I loved what we had, and that I needed him...the police arrested him again, but I didn't feel safe in my own place anymore, so I moved in with Nate and Dylan."

"Did you see him again after that?" Kurt groaned, unable to contain his anger any longer.

"No, not anymore." Blaine gave Kurt a small smile, "but I became afraid, and started drinking to deal with it. I didn't want to go out, just in case. I was in a very dark place."

Kurt shook his head, running a hand through his hair.

"No one should have made you feel like this. No one had the right to make you afraid to go out. And the police kept releasing him... is this the crappy justice we have? It's not fair, it's not fair that you thought the only thing that could help you was drinking, you deserved more than that!" He yelled, surprising Blaine.

Blaine placed his hand on Kurt's shoulder, leaning closer to him.

"I know, it took me quite a while to learn that what I went through wasn't my fault, and the thing is… what really snapped me out of it was when Nate and Dylan had their big argument. It made me realize just how I'd been acting, like I wasn't really alive in the world, and I needed to change that, if only to help my friends."

Kurt took a deep breath and cupped Blaine's face with his hands so that he was looking at him. 

"Do you still think about that? I mean, other than that night when Nate called you. Does it still haunt you?" He asked, looking into Blaine's eyes to make sure he was honest.

"Yeah, kind of. I mean, it had been a year since I had heard his name and it shocked the hell out of me that night." Blaine nuzzled his cheeks into Kurt's palms, "but I feel better now, knowing that I have you, that I've told you it all. It's a huge weight off of my shoulders."

Blaine gave him a kiss on the lips and then a genuine smile.

"Just so you know, I swear if that bastard tries to get close to you again, I'll kill him. I'm incapable of hurting anyone, not even a fly… every time one sneaked into our house when I was a kid, I forced my dad to open the window so it could escape, but... whoever wants to harm you will have to step over my dead body. I hope you know that." Kurt rested his forehead against Blaine's, and now he was the one who was trembling slightly.

Blaine grinned as he rested against Kurt, rubbing his hands over Kurt's arms until he felt him trembling against him.

"Baby, are you okay?" He asked lightly, pulling back to stare at his boyfriend's face, "please, tell me."

Kurt snorted and wiped away a rebellious tear that was rolling down his cheek. 

"To think that you had to go through that breaks my heart, but I'm fine." He assured Blaine, trying to sound convincing, because he was confident of what he was saying. "We're together now, and I'm going to make sure that you never feel like that again. I promise."

"Oh, sweetheart." Blaine pulled Kurt into his arms now, making Kurt cuddle against him and rubbing his hands through Kurt's hair and down his back. "It's alright, Kurt. I'm not sad about it anymore. It's a painful memory, one that might take a while to fade, but I've never felt that way with you. I know I never will, you don't have to worry about that."

"It's not supposed to be this way, I'm the one who should be comforting you." Kurt protested, but he wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist and snuggled as much as possible against him.

"I don't think there are rules about this." Blaine chuckled a little as he hugged him back tightly.

They stayed like that for a couple of minutes, until Kurt suddenly pulled away from Blaine, just so he could straddle him to get better access to what he needed to do. He placed his hands on either side of Blaine's face and made him lower it as he began to kiss his hair, each and every one of his curls. 

Blaine started laughing at the ministrations.

"You know, since we've been a couple, my hair has received more love from you than it ever has before!" He exclaimed in delight.

"It's the only thing you're getting from now on, lots of love, so get used to it." Kurt kept filling his head with kisses until Blaine lifted his face to look at him. "When you first told me about this, I wanted to kiss you until you forgot all those bad memories, but I couldn't, we were trying to be just friends... now I can, and I don't want to do anything else." He explained.

Blaine sighed happily as he stared into Kurt's eyes, and then after a moment he flashed him a cheeky grin.

"Well, I'm not going to stop you from doing what you want to do."

Kurt just rolled his eyes and laughed at his face before leaning down and connecting their lips.

It wasn't rushed, it wasn't lustful; those kisses were pure bliss and love. Those kisses were full of feeling, bringing warmth and happiness right into each of their souls.

They spent the rest of the night proclaiming their love for each other, telling stories from their past, happier ones, and trading soft, lazy kisses.

That's what a night in was all about. Just them. Just love.


	28. Chapter 28

Kurt was waiting for Blaine near his car with a smile on his face. He wanted to spend some time with his boyfriend... although it was true that these last few days he had been especially close to Blaine. 

After their conversation on Saturday night, Kurt didn't let Blaine go for a second at Finn and Brooke's house. They had a great time all together, with the kids so excited to see so many people they loved in the same place that they didn't know exactly who to claim their attention. Kurt's favorite moment was when Anna was sitting on top of Blaine and Jack on top of Burt, and both adults were talking and laughing while the kids were playing the fool. Seeing his boyfriend and his dad like that was the best gift for Kurt.

Later, they went to take his parents to the airport. Burt and Carole gave Blaine goodbye hugs, and when Burt wrapped his arms around Kurt and he breathed in that smell that always reminded him of home, the two of them knew that any problem between them was already solved. 

Back in Kurt's apartment, it was Blaine who had to insist that he needed to go to his place after two days together, but he did it with a smile and lots of kisses, reassuring Kurt over and over that he was fine. 

However, Kurt still had a bitter aftertaste, and was determined on making up for what Blaine had had to go through in his past, and he also wanted to thank him for trusting him enough to tell him all that. 

So on Monday morning, Kurt was the first to send a message. But they couldn't have lunch together, and neither on Tuesday, so to distract themselves a bit after a couple of days of hard work, he hoped Blaine would accept to go on a coffee date. 

He had told Blaine that he was going home, but there he was, next to Blaine's car and shifting his body weight from one foot to the other, like it was their first date. Blaine always had that effect on him.

He spotted his boyfriend walking towards his car, with his head down as he typed something on his phone. He hadn't seen him yet, which made Kurt grin. It would be a sight to see that happy surprise on Blaine's face. 

There was a buzz from his phone in his pocket, so obviously Blaine was texting him, which he would look at later on.

As Blaine got closer to his car, he placed his phone in his pocket and then looked up. He froze and a wide smile appeared on his face as he approached Kurt with confusion. 

"I thought you were going home, darling." He said as he walked up to him.

"It was a white lie, I wanted to surprise you." Kurt giggled, and after checking that there were no co-workers around, he wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck. "Feel like a coffee date? It's on me."

"Absolutely." Blaine grinned excitedly and hugged him back. "So am I driving?"

"No, I am. I know the perfect place. My car is a little further ahead, let's go." Kurt took Blaine's hand and they walked to his car. 

The ride didn't last long, and they were both absorbed in each other, saying how much they had missed to have lunch together. 

"Two days in a row without sitting at the same table should be forbidden." Kurt stated as he parked the car. 

He got out quickly and went to open Blaine's door. 

"Here we are." He said with a triumphant smile, holding out his hand.

Blaine smiled a little nervously. He recognized that coffee shop. 

"Could we go to a different place?" He asked, and Kurt looked at him, confused, "I mean, it's packed inside there and I don't think we'll be able to have a decent conversation." 

He didn't know how to tell Kurt that this was where his last hookup worked.

Kurt looked inside the coffee shop through the window glass. There were quite a lot of people, but at first glance he saw several free spots. 

"Don't worry, there are a few tables in the corner where we can talk quietly. The coffee here is spectacular, you'll understand when you taste it." He said, tugging slightly on Blaine's sleeve.

Blaine tried to think of another excuse as to not go in there, but Kurt looked so happy and excited that he couldn't take that look off of his face. He reluctantly got out of the car and held Kurt's hand as they walked inside the place. 

Blaine looked around the small coffee place for a moment, looking for a familiar face and almost sighing with relief when he didn't see it.

"Look, why don't you get in line for us while I choose what I want to eat? There are too many options." Kurt patted Blaine's shoulder before walking over to the display where they kept all the pastries and cakes.

"Okay. Do you want your usual coffee?" Blaine asked as he smiled at Kurt's face as he looked at the desserts.

"Yes, please." Kurt answered without taking his eyes off the glass. "I think I'm going to order a couple of chocolate chip cookies, and you should try the muffins."

"Alright." Blaine laughed as he walked ahead in the line. He was next already. 

Just as the customer in front of him was being served, he saw the guy he slept with coming out from the back and going over to the pastry counter where Kurt was still looking at the cakes. 

Blaine groaned to himself. Why? Why did this have to happen today?

"If you have doubts, the carrot cake is killing it today." 

Kurt raised his head to find the guy behind the counter smiling at him in amusement. 

"Don't tell me that. If it were up to me, I'd eat them all. But I've already made up my mind, so don't mess with me." He smiled back at him before looking at Blaine. "Baby, do you want to come and take a look?" 

The guy followed Kurt's gaze, and his eyes went wide. 

"Blaine?"

"Erm...hey." Blaine said quietly, without smiling, but he was saved from saying anything else for a moment by the woman at the counter asking for his order. 

After he told her the coffee order, he took a deep breath through his nose as he turned back to Kurt, who was still waiting for an answer. 

"No, darling, it's fine. Just get anything, I'll eat it." He smiled at Kurt as he tried not to look at the guy behind the counter.

The guy then ignored Kurt and approached the woman who was registering Blaine's order with a smirk. 

"Don't worry, Helen, I'll take care of this one." 

She nodded and let the guy run the counter.

"I didn't expect to see you around here again, almost two months later." He told Blaine, raising an eyebrow. 

Meanwhile, Kurt was frozen next to the display. What the hell was going on? Who was that guy and how did he know Blaine? And had he said 'almost two months later'?

"Yeah, funny coincidence here." Blaine said with a frown, "but I'd rather not have this conversation right now."

He knew he was being rude, but he could feel his boyfriend's eyes on him and he hated the feel of it.

"Yeah, it was clear to me that you're not very into having conversations that morning at your place." The guy snapped at Blaine. 

That was too much for Kurt. He moved closer until he was next to Blaine, and after linking their arms, he turned to the guy. 

"Besides what my 'boyfriend' ordered, I want two chocolate chip cookies and a blueberry muffin." He said, putting special emphasis on the word 'boyfriend', and then he took his wallet from his pocket and left a $20 bill on the counter. 

"Of course." The guy took the money and left the loops where Kurt's bill had been a second ago. 

As he prepared the order, Kurt and Blaine were silent, despite the fact that Blaine noticed Kurt's eyes on him. 

A few minutes later, the guy returned with a tray. 

"Here it is." He shot Blaine a disdainful look and then turned to Kurt. "And good luck, you're gonna need it." 

Kurt let go of Blaine's arm and rudely picked up the tray before heading for an empty table, not even making sure if Blaine was following him. He sat down in a chair and stared at the tray.

Blaine followed after him a little slower, throwing a glare at the guy over his shoulder. As he got to the table where Kurt was, he sat down quietly. 

Kurt still wasn't looking at him, so Blaine tried to explain. 

"Listen, baby, I-"

"So it was packed inside, right? Do you think I'm stupid?" Kurt interrupted him as he turned his face up to look at Blaine. "Can you tell me what that was about?"

Blaine looked ashamed as he looked into Kurt's eyes. 

"I didn't know how to explain it to you." He said softly, reaching out for one of Kurt's hands, but Kurt pulled it away, so Blaine sighed and left his hand on the table, "you know how I was like before you...in Virginia and here...I was with him the night before Finn's birthday."

Kurt sat very straight in the chair, staring at Blaine in disbelief. 

"Did you sleep with that guy the night before we...?" He didn't finish the sentence, he just picked up his cup and took a sip of coffee while shaking his head.

Blaine could feel the prickling of panic go up his spine, and he pushed his hand forward on the table. 

"Kurt, please, I didn't know about us, I didn't...I wouldn't have..." He didn't know what else he could say, but he needed Kurt to believe him. He would never do anything to hurt him.

Kurt took a deep breath and saw the fear in Blaine's eyes. He was right, he couldn't know what was going to happen between them or what he was going to feel. Kurt had promised Blaine that his past didn't matter, and as close as it was to their story, that guy was still part of Blaine's past.

"You should have told me before entering here." He muttered as he relaxed his gaze a bit.

"I know I should have, I know, and I'm so sorry, but...I just didn't know how." Blaine said. His eyes still held some residual fear and panic, but they softened a little, "my past isn't something I'm proud of. I'm so ashamed of the way it was before you, and I didn't want to ruin our coffee date by bringing it up." 

He gave Kurt a little smile and flexed his fingers, his hand still on the table held out for Kurt.

Kurt laughed lightly before finally taking Blaine's hand. 

"Maybe I shouldn't have reacted like that." He admitted. "But I saw how he was looking at you, and what he was implying, and... I lost it."

Blaine's whole face relaxed as Kurt placed his hand in his, and he couldn't help the smile it brought out. 

"It's okay, you're allowed to defend me when somebody from my past is being a dick." Blaine said, "but you don't have to be jealous, I only have eyes for you now."

"I wasn't jealous." Kurt lied. "I just wanted that guy to know how things are now."

"Uhuh, and how are they?" Blaine asked with a small smug grin.

"Well, you're mine, and I wanted to make it clear." Kurt blushed a little, but a second later, he chuckled. "Although considering he wished me luck, it doesn't seem like it bothered him much. What did you do to make him so resentful?"

"Nothing different than any of the others." Blaine told him, "which is probably why he's upset. After sleeping with them, I used to be a little rude and wanted them out of my place as quickly as possible." He shrugged.

"But you wouldn't have kicked me out that day, would you?" Kurt asked, biting his lip. 

He knew what was in order now was to be mad at Blaine for what had just happened, but once again, it was something about his past, and Kurt was only concerned about their future together.

"Never, I would never kick you out." Blaine gave him a smile.

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand a bit before releasing it so he could reach for the cookies. 

"I was going to give you one, but I don't know if you deserve it after this." He teased him.

Blaine gave him a small smirk. 

"I thought the muffin was for me."

"Nop, I was actually gonna let you take a bit before I ate it too." Kurt explained.

"Oh, really?" Blaine laughed before snatching it and holding it to his mouth, "how about I eat this and you can have both cookies?"

"Okay, I'll let you get away with it this time." Kurt took one of the cookies and had a bite without taking his eyes off Blaine. "Mmh... delicious."

"You're delicious." Blaine answered with a smirk, before taking a bite of the muffin and moaning low so that only Kurt could hear, "mmh, but this is good."

Blaine held it out for Kurt and raised his other hand for the cookie Kurt had just bitten.

"Swap?"

"If you insist..." Kurt took a bite of the muffin with a little noise of pleasure, but before the cookie touched Blaine's hand, he pushed it away. "No, it's your punishment."

Blaine pouted.

"Damn."

"Don't you dare pout at me." Kurt said, and flicked his finger for Blaine to come closer. 

Their faces met in the middle of the table, and Kurt bit again into the cookie, moaning very softly in Blaine's ear. 

"The next time you want to... eat, you'll be honest with me. I'm sure you won't forget it this way." He leaned back again, feeling powerful.

Blaine's eyes turned dark and he grabbed the front of Kurt's shirt before he could lean all the way back and kissed his lips hard, pushing his tongue through them as Kurt gasped and stealing a little bit of the cookie even though it was half chewed, and then he pulled away.

"Cookies taste better when they come from your mouth." He said in a low voice, almost laughing at Kurt's shocked face.

Kurt gasped again, but he recovered quickly. He moved his leg under the table, rubbing his ankle against Blaine's. 

"It's so disrespectful to take what is not yours." He pretended to be outraged.

"I think you knew that mouth…" Blaine said as he stared at Kurt's lips, "belongs to me."

Kurt sighed, his gaze suddenly darkened. 

He didn't know what was happening to him. A few minutes ago he was angry with Blaine, really angry, but it had only taken a few sentences to make him forget about it. And then he understood that it wasn't what his boyfriend had said, but the honesty in his words. He trusted Blaine, plain and simple. 

And right now, Kurt had an animal need for the world to know that Blaine was his.

"I was talking about the cookie. You'll have to earn the rest."

Blaine raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah? And how do I earn that?" He asked as he leaned on his hand on the table.

Kurt took Blaine's free hand and began to play with his fingers, a mischievous smile on his lips. 

"I don't know... I brought you here, invited you to coffee and a muffin and didn't get anything in return... I'm so unhappy with this date." 

He started messing with the collar of his shirt, trying to cool off a bit the heat inside his body.

"But all I want is to make you happy." Blaine replied as he watched Kurt with interest.

The way Kurt was playing with his fingers was making a warm, electrifying feeling spark in his stomach. Kurt's eyes were dark and excited as he smiled at Blaine playfully, and his foot moved along Blaine's calf under the table, making Blaine feel shivers running along his thigh.

Kurt grabbed his coffee and downed half of it in one go. He had to stop this, they couldn't get horny like that in the middle of a coffee shop and even less in front of the guy Kurt had caught looking at them a couple of times, but the fire under his skin was stronger than all that. Damn soulmate bond. 

He leaned across the table again, and Blaine did the same. 

"We're playing a very dangerous game here, you know that?" He whispered in Blaine's ear.

"It's exciting to live on the wild side, isn't it, baby?" Blaine asked in his own whisper, their faces so close that he could see all of the different flecks of color in Kurt's eyes.

Kurt looked at Blaine's lips and gulped. If he didn't kiss him soon, he was sure he would go up in flames. 

But he wouldn't be the one to make it easy for Blaine, his rational side was enjoying the tug of war. He stuck his tongue out just to brush it against Blaine's bottom lip. 

"Sorry, I thought you had some chocolate there." He giggled.

"Maybe I'm just attracting you because I'm so sweet." Blaine said as he leaned back, licking his own bottom lip before smirking as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Not always." Kurt smirked back. 

He shook his head to compose himself and searched for a topic of conversation. 

"The guys are coming this weekend, right?"

"They are. I guess we should work out where they should stay, because if we all stay in the same place, there's only one bedroom in each of our apartments." Blaine explained, clearing his throat as he felt the heat inside his body cool down a little.

"So I am included in your plans?" Kurt asked, his eyes shining as he caressed the palm of Blaine's hand.

"Kurt, you're included in all of my plans, and if you weren't, I would be a very shitty boyfriend. And also I think your best friend Dylan would kick my ass." Blaine laughed lightly as he grabbed Kurt's hand again and threaded their fingers together.

"That's true, we both know Dylan is coming to see me." Kurt showed off. "They can stay in my apartment if they want, or if they feel more comfortable in yours, you can come to mine again. Or we can be good friends and give them the bedroom, and we sleep close together on the couch." 

And that's were Kurt's attempt to try to cool the situation down ended. His foot took on a life of its own and stroked Blaine's leg again.

Blaine visibly shook as he felt Kurt's foot go up his leg a little higher, and his fingers tightened their grip on Kurt's for half a second before he relaxed again.

"Well, if you don't mind, I would love to stay at yours again, and the guys can have my place for the weekend." Blaine said with a smile, "but if you want to all stay together, I'll need to buy an inflatable mattress."

"I'm not going to sleep on something that can explode in the middle of the night, I'm not a boy scout." Kurt said quite seriously, before smiling again as his foot continued to play. "But I'm fine with you spending the weekend at my place. And we should repeat what we did last week and do something on Friday night. This way, we make the most of our free time."

"Okay, that sounds perfect." Blaine pulled Kurt's hand towards his face and placed a kiss on it.

"Great then." Kurt looked at the remains of food on the tray. "You finished?"

"Yeah." Blaine said as he drank the last bit of his coffee before standing up and holding a hand out to Kurt. "Wanna go make out in the car like teenagers afraid of getting caught?"

He wriggled his eyebrows at him.

"I love when you read my mind." Kurt took Blaine's hand, though as they passed the counter, he let it go to slip his hand into the back pocket of Blaine's jeans instead. 

He turned to look at the guy, who was watching them very indiscreetly. 

"Have a good evening." Kurt said. "And I don't need luck, I already have him." 

And with a smile, and his hand clutching Blaine's ass, he led his boyfriend to the door.

Blaine laughed as they walked to the car, and turned to smile at Kurt as he leaned back against the door.

"Wow, I love you. All possessive of me and stuff."

Kurt covered his red face with his hands, though he cracked up when he looked back at Blaine. 

"I've never been a jealous person until I met you. What are you doing to me?" He shoved his hands, both of them this time, back into Blaine's jeans pockets, drawing him closer.

Blaine bit his lip and then looked around the small car park, making sure there was nobody around before taking Kurt's car keys, opening the back door and pulling Kurt down with him.

"Come on, while nobody is around to stop us." He said as he moved backwards into the back seat of the car.

"You were serious about making out like teenagers?" Kurt asked as he leaned on top of Blaine, careful to close the car door behind him.

"Dead serious." 

Blaine pulled on the back of Kurt's neck and smashed their lips together, moaning quietly against him. 

For the last 20 minutes, this is all he had needed.

Kurt pressed his lips to Blaine's eagerly, pushing his tongue into his mouth as soon as he got the chance. 

He growled in hunger. He had never wanted anyone as much as he wanted Blaine.

Blaine pulled Kurt down on top of him, closer, his arms wrapping around him tighter. Both of their tongues were sliding alongside the other, sensually but deeply. 

He groaned as Kurt started grinding on top of him.

Kurt moaned into Blaine's mouth as his boyfriend's hands ran down his back and then grabbed his ass. Kurt's hips thrust down against Blaine, as Blaine's own were beginning to thrust back up.

They were getting lost in the sensation, moaning and gasping into one another's mouth as they moved against each other. 

Their kisses and movements were interrupted by a soft knock against the car window. They both stared up at it with wide eyes.

Behind the glass there was an old lady who, far from seemed angry, was looking at them with a smile.

Without needing to roll down the window, they heard her say 'use protection, young men' before waving them goodbye, getting into the car that was parked next to Kurt's and starting it. 

When the lady left, they looked at each other, both disheveled and with swollen lips, and chuckled at the same time. 

Kurt buried his face in Blaine's neck as he laughed, before pulling away and looking into his boyfriend's eyes. 

There was no laugh in there, just a promise. 

"Friday." 

Blaine immediately nodded and smiled at him. 

"Friday."

******

Morning texts were kind of their thing now, and Blaine smiled as he received one on Wednesday morning.

From: Kurt

\- Good morning, my love. I hope you have a great day at work. Just two more days before I get to hold you in my arms and not let go all weekend ;) -

Blaine literally felt his face split into a beaming grin. He couldn't wait to sleep at Kurt's this weekend; he had also planned on taking Kurt out for dinner on Friday after work before heading to Kurt's place.

Nate and Dylan would be down Saturday morning, about 11:30am, so that gave them plenty of time together until they had to go and meet the guys at Blaine's apartment. He typed out his reply, thinking it might be too cheesy, but that was how Kurt made him feel.

\- Good morning to you too, darling. I can't wait for Friday to come. I need to hold you, I need to sleep next to you. You're everything to me <3 I love you. Hopefully see you at lunch time today? -

He only had to wait a few minutes before another text came through, which made him giggle happily.

\- I love you too, you cheesy bastard lol Yeah, I hope we can have lunch together, but as it's nearing the end of the magazine deadline, you know what that means :( -

Blaine sighed. He did know. Everyone would be so busy with the last parts of the magazine, and it usually involved a lot of people working through lunch just to get all their projects finished on time. Kurt and Blaine were part of the most important departments, so they always became buried in last minute work.

Wednesday was just like expected, busy. Lunch time happened differently for them; Blaine had his lunch in the dining room, but Kurt didn't show up there, obviously too busy. As Blaine was walking back to the elevator to go back to work, he received a message.

From: Kurt

\- :'( -

That was all Kurt sent him. Blaine felt bad for him, but they really couldn't help being busy. So he sent him back something to keep Kurt happy and brighten up his day since he wouldn't be able to spend time with him.

He made sure nobody else was looking before taking a picture of himself blowing a kiss to the camera and then sent it to Kurt with a winking face attached.

Once he was back at his desk, his phone vibrated again.

From: Kurt

\- Thank you <3 -

Thursday went by in a flash just like Wednesday. Blaine was swamped at work, so he missed the opportunity to have lunch with Kurt again, but he did see him once his work was done. He told Jonathan that he had something important to talk to Julia about, but when a knowing smile graced Jonathan's face, Blaine was sure that the man knew he wasn't going to see her.

He waved Blaine off slightly as Blaine smiled back and grabbed his bag, heading for the elevator. He needed to catch Kurt in his office before they left to go home.

He made it just in time. When everybody else was leaving, he got there as Kurt opened his office door to go home himself. But Blaine pushed past him quickly, after checking everyone on the floor wasn't paying them any attention.

Kurt was confused as Blaine ran into his office with a huge grin, but he smiled and shut the door again to ask what was going on.

Blaine didn't give him a chance to ask, though. He grabbed Kurt and pushed him against the door gently, crashing their mouths together. Kurt moaned and dropped his bag next to Blaine's on the floor, wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck. Blaine pushed against him as he held him there with his hips, groaning as their tongues collided.

Kurt pulled back a little to cool himself down, but as Blaine attacked his neck with kisses, he gasped out a giggle.

"What is this? Did you miss me that much?" He asked as he gasped again as Blaine bit down on the side of his neck gently.

"Two days without seeing you does things to me." Blaine mumbled against his skin, and Kurt smiled as he gripped Blaine to him tighter, enjoying the feeling of Blaine's ministrations on his neck.

But they had to calm down for a moment before they got too carried away. Blaine eventually pulled back to place little tiny kisses to Kurt's smiling lips, and they laughed breathlessly before Kurt opened the door and they walked out together.

******

Friday.

It was Friday. Finally.

And they managed to have lunch together, with Camille. She regaled them about her story with the waiter from the cocktail bar they all went to last week. Apparently, he was a really nice guy and they had been on two dates already. She smiled so widely and had wild excitement in her eyes; it was amazing to see for both Kurt and Blaine.

Kurt promised to see Blaine after work, and Blaine gave him a grin and told him to be ready at 6pm. They parted once they reached the end of the short corridor as they went back to their department offices with a longing look left between them.

Blaine finished his work just before clock out time, so he grabbed his stuff and gave Jonathan a wink, which the man laughed at, before he ran to his car. He needed to get home to pack his bag, and then get ready for dinner. He got home at 4:30, and packed his bag for the weekend first. At 5pm, he showered and made sure his hair was tamed a little before he got dressed.

At 5:30, he was ready. He had on his best black shirt, which was slightly fitted to him; it showed off the muscles on his chest and his biceps, and he left the top three buttons undone, showing off some chest hair as well. He was also wearing black jeans that were a size too small for him, but they did amazing things for his ass and hugged his legs perfectly. A pair of black ankle boots that he hardly ever wore adorned his feet; he thought he looked very 'bad boy chic' as he grinned to himself in the mirror. He took his soft denim black jacket with him, and grabbed his bag, phone and keys before heading to his car. 

At 5:45pm, he pulled up outside Kurt's apartment, but he had to stop along the way and get some flowers for his boyfriend, red and yellow roses this time. The lady in the flower shop told him that the red roses were for love, and the yellow ones were for friendship and signified a strong bond. He just hoped Kurt like them; he knew they weren't his favorite, but they looked beautiful and smelled incredible.

He took his bag of clothes from his car and climbed out to go into Kurt's building, heading up to the first floor to knock lightly on his door. He checked his watch: 5:52pm. He hoped his boyfriend would be ready to go; if not, well, maybe he would get to see the dishevelled hair look that suited Kurt so well.

Kurt opened the door a few seconds later, hastily buttoning his mustard colored shirt. 

"You're a little ea..." He trailed off mid-sentence, staring at Blaine with wide eyes. "Wow."

Blaine grinned at his boyfriend's shocked face, feeling a twitch in his groin as Kurt's eyes darkened. But before he could really let himself get lost in that feeling, he held out the roses for Kurt. 

"These are for you, my love." He said in a calm and low voice, "I know I'm early, but that means I can just stare at you for a few minutes." 

His gaze wandered down Kurt's body. Those dark green soft-looking jeans were so tight to Kurt's thighs; it almost looked like they were painted on. The tan colored boots went really well with his mustard colored shirt, which was also fitted to his body. His broad shoulders and trim waist were really accentuated, and it made Blaine's mouth water a little. 

"You look amazing." He had to add.

"Thank you, baby." Kurt took the flowers to his nose as he stepped aside to let Blaine in. "They smell great and are really beautiful. Can you fill that vase over there with water, please? I don't want them to dry." He carefully set the flowers on the table before heading to the bathroom.

Blaine left his bag and got to work at cleaning the vase out first before filling it with water, and then unwrapping the roses from the plastic and carefully placing each one inside it. He was just making sure it looked presentable when Kurt came back, so he gave him a big smile. 

"These look great here. I may have to buy some more next time."

"I'm never going to complain because you buy me flowers." Kurt approached him with his hands behind his back. "And the truth is that I also have a little something for you. I called it 'Blaine's sleepover pack'." 

He extended his arms. There was one of his sweaters, which he had sprayed with his cologne so that it would smell like him, a new toothbrush and a pair of fluffy socks. 

"I wanted to wrap it up, but I didn't have time." He said, looking hopefully at Blaine.

"Oh my gosh, I love it." Blaine laughed happily as he took the sweater in his hand, pulling a sleeve towards him and smelling it, "wow. So you know you're not getting this back until it loses your smell, right?" 

He gave Kurt a smirk as he placed it all down on the table for later.

"I don't want it back, it's for you. I thought you could leave these things here for when you stay the night, although seeing how you looked at the sweater makes me afraid you won't want to let it go." Kurt giggled and checked the time before wrapping his arms around Blaine's shoulders. "And we still have a minute to do this." He leaned in to kiss him, his lips sliding slightly over Blaine's.

Blaine smiled against Kurt's lips, humming happily in his throat as he pulled him closer by his waist, hands stroking over the shirt at his sides.

Kurt pulled away with a pout. 

"You shouldn't have dressed like that. I really wanted to go out to dinner, and now I don't feel like leaving the apartment." He joked, taking Blaine's hand to walk to the door together.

"Oh, we have all night together, baby, but let me at least treat us something to eat so we have the energy for later." Blaine said with a wink, and as he walked out with Kurt, he smiled innocently at him when Kurt closed the door, "I think you're really going to like this restaurant."

"I trust your judgement." Kurt said with a grin. 

When they got out the building, he turned to Blaine. 

"Do we drive or walk?" He asked.

"We can walk, it's not far and it's a nice evening." Blaine smiled as he still had Kurt's hand in his. He pulled him gently as he began to walk down the street to the place he had found a few months ago.

"Good. I love walking on evenings like this, warm but with a slight breeze." Kurt swung their joined hands as they walked. "Especially with a handsome guy holding my hand." 

Blaine laughed as he pointed to Kurt that they had to turn down the corner. 

"I had never walked hand in hand with a guy until you showed up." He mentioned. "It's amazing how everything has changed in the last few weeks." 

"For good, I hope." Kurt looked at him. 

His blue eyes seemed especially bright that night, and Blaine's heart skipped a beat. 

"Nah. If I could, I'd trade the best moment of my life for dragging myself from bar to bar again, without hesitation." Blaine laughed, but there was a bitter hint in his voice. 

"Hey." Kurt released Blaine's hand to wrap his arm around his waist and bring him closer. "That time is over, but I don't want you to regret anything. I don't wake up every morning thinking that I lost three years of my life in an empty relationship. Everything has led us to who we are now, and I told you on our first date and I feel it even more now: I'm so proud of you." 

Taking advantage of the fact that they had to stop at a red light, Blaine leaned in to kiss Kurt. It was just a peck on the lips, but it made them both tingle. 

"I love you so much." He whispered. 

"I know." Kurt smirked at him, but the smirk turned into a sweet smile a second later. "I love you too." 

They walked in silence for 15 more minutes, just distracted by the grip of each other's fingers on their waists, until Blaine stood in front of a small Spanish restaurant that Kurt had passed a lot of times but he had never entered. 

"Are we having dinner here?" He asked excitedly.

Blaine grinned and let go of Kurt's waist so that he could hold the door open. 

"Of course we are. I hope you like Spanish food." He said as he guided Kurt inside the restaurant, both of them immediately being hit with some great smells of food.

Blaine walked up to the counter by the door, holding Kurt's hand again, and smiling at the young woman who was the hostess. 

"Table for two?" She asked politely, and Blaine nodded. 

"Yes, please." 

She picked two menus up out of the box next to her and gestured for them to follow her across the restaurant. 

The lighting in this place was warm and inviting, lots of people everywhere all smiling and laughing together. Kurt gasped at some of the amazing paintings that were hung up on the walls around the place. 

The ceiling was open so that it didn't feel too claustrophobic inside, and massive crystal chandeliers were almost the only source of light in the whole place. 

"This place looks amazing." Kurt said as the hostess stopped at their table. Blaine held Kurt's chair out for him, and Kurt smiled gratefully at him before sitting down.

"Would you like some drinks while you look over the menu?" The young woman asked as she handed them a menu each, pulling a pad from her pocket. 

"Yes, please. I'll have a lemonade first." Blaine told her, and then she turned to Kurt. 

"Oh, erm...a diet coke, please." 

"Okay, I'll be back with them in a second." She said, and as she turned to walk away, Blaine stopped her. 

"Erm…could we have a bottle of white wine with our meal, please?" He asked softly, making sure it was okay with Kurt, who only grinned and nodded at him. 

Kurt knew that Blaine was still nervous about that, but he also knew it would take Blaine a while to really feel comfortable drinking around him. 

A glass of wine with dinner was perfectly fine with Kurt, though.

"Sure, I'll bring a bottle over once you order your meal." She said with a smile, "I'll let you have a look and be back in a few with your drinks." 

"Thank you." They both said at the same time, and then turned to each other with a grin as she walked away.

"Have you researched all the restaurants near my place for future dates?" Kurt asked before letting out a little moan as he read the menu. "They have paella, baby."

"Not all of them." Blaine laughed as he placed his own menu down, "but most of them. And I've eaten here before, though, a few months back before we got together. Their paella is amazing, but you should try the potato omelette too."

"Then I'll definitely try that." Kurt left the menu on the table before being tempted to order something else. "So you've already been here, huh? On your own or with someone?"

"By myself. By my little lonely self." Blaine said with a little teasing pout.

"Oh, poor you." Kurt reached out his hand on the table and Blaine took it. "Can you imagine if we would have crossed paths that night?"

"We might have, but I think I would remember seeing you. You're beautiful." Blaine said with a soft smile. 

Kurt gave him a smile back just as the hostess came over with their drinks. She put them on the table and then gave them a grin. 

"Are you ready to order yet?" She asked kindly as she had her note pad ready.

"Yes. We'll both have paella and potato omelette." Kurt said with a polite smile.

"Perfect." She said, taking note. "I'll be right back with your food and wine." 

The waitress left them alone again and Kurt took a sip of his soda before looking at Blaine. 

"What I meant is that I could have gone out for a walk the night you came here for dinner. We would have met by chance, you would have told me that you were gonna be eating alone and maybe I would have politely offered to keep you company." He explained, as if he were telling a fascinating tale.

"As great as you spin that tale, I don't think you would have liked me much back then; I was extremely rude and brash. I actually liked the way we met." Blaine smiled at him in a way that Kurt knew he was being honest about his past and how he was. 

Blaine had never really trusted anybody before, so it was a big change, and how they met would always be the turning point for them.

"Fighting while hanging streamers and making amends with shots... we reinvented the fairytales." Kurt said, rolling his eyes.

Blaine laughed out loud and Kurt gawked at him. Blaine's laugh was his favorite sound in the whole world. 

In just a few minutes, the food arrived. Kurt and Blaine enjoyed eating, and they both felt very comfortable being with someone who didn't need a momentous conversation to fill in the silences between bites or sips of wine. They were happy to savor the food, saying how good everything was and giving each other cute glances, little touches and cheesy comments from time to time. 

They had finished eating a while ago when the waitress came over again to remove their plates and ask if they wanted some dessert. 

"No, thank you." Kurt answered before Blaine could open his mouth. "Could you bring us the bill, please?" 

The waitress left again and Blaine looked at Kurt with a frown. 

"Why didn't you want something for dessert? We could have ordered flan or custard to share." 

Kurt looked at him seriously, and took a deep breath before leaning over the table so that nobody but Blaine could hear him. 

"Well, I thought we could go back to the apartment now, because… I'm ready."

"Ready?" Blaine asked with a little confusion, but as Kurt just stared at him, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped, "oh, ready...are you sure?"

"Completely sure. I think I've been for a while, but I liked the way things were going so far and I didn't want us to rush, but I need more." Kurt explained, knowing he was blushing a little as he spoke, "if you agree."

"Agree?" Blaine chuckled a little, "of course I agree, who wouldn't? I actually get to make love with my boyfriend. This is a good day."

He sat back in his seat with a relaxed and happy smile on his face, and Kurt laughed at him.

The waitress appeared as she tried to hold back a grin and left the bill on the table before giving them a knowing look and going to another table.

"Great, she heard you. I knew I shouldn't have told you that until we were back home." Kurt complained, but his eyes were shining with fun.

"So what if she heard me? I'm happy and I'll scream it out to anyone that listens to me on the way home, if you want." Blaine smirked at him with a shrug as he picked up the bill and got some money out of his wallet, "she should probably have a big tip for being discreet, huh?"

"Yeah, totally. But I would appreciate it if you would shut your mouth on the way back, or you'll force me to make you shut it."

Blaine's face lit up even more, and Kurt dropped his head, defeated.

"Forget that last part. Can we go now, please?" He mumbled.

Blaine laughed a little as he placed the tiny bill booklet back on the table. 

"Yes, we can leave. Let's go, baby." He said as he stood up and then held out his hand for Kurt.

Kurt took Blaine's hand and they walked out of the restaurant together. Blaine still had a smug grin on his face, and Kurt poked him on the side before hugging him as they walked. It wasn't the most comfortable way to walk, but at that moment he didn't care.

"Thanks for dinner, Mr. Cocky." Kurt said with a chuckle against Blaine's chest.

"I thought you loved my c-"

Kurt clamped a hand over Blaine's mouth and sent him a warning look, which Blaine just giggled at, the sound muffled by Kurt's hand.

He took his hand away, and then Blaine smiled at him a little more seriously.

"You're welcome."

Kurt nodded. That was better.

He still had his arms around Blaine's waist when he noticed someone who had just turned the corner and was heading towards them. 

He froze in the middle of the street, causing Blaine to stop next to him.

"You have to be kidding me." He said as he released Blaine, but he still didn't move.

"What?" Blaine asked as he looked at the person Kurt was staring at, "what's wrong?"

Kurt didn't say anything, but it was obvious that he had seen them too, because he sped up his steps until he stood in front of them.

Blaine was looking between the guy with a scowl on his face and his boyfriend for a few moments, until the guy looked at him for a second and then turned back to Kurt.

"Is this the guy you cheated on me with?" He asked with a glare.

Blaine glared back as he went to step forward, but Kurt's hand grabbed him back. So that was the douchebag.

"What are you doing around here, Jamie? I thought you didn't like this part of the city." Kurt said, ignoring his question and grabbing Blaine's arm to keep him from getting any closer to his ex-boyfriend.

"I don't have to answer that question, it's none of your business anymore." Jamie said with a sneer.

"Get lost, douchebag." Blaine growled out with his own glare.

"Make me." Jamie said as he turned to him with a smirk, "it's a free country."

"Blaine, baby, it's okay." Kurt looked Blaine straight in the eye before turning to Jamie. "Why don't you relax? Whatever problem you have is with me, not with him." He snapped.

His whole body was tense. It seemed incredible to Kurt that he had ever shared his life with the person in front of them, who looked at him with total contempt.

"Wait… Blaine? So it's the guy." Jamie laughed cruelly, and Blaine went to step forward again, but Kurt held him back still.

"Just let me hit him, just once." Blaine whispered to Kurt.

"No. Don't give him what he's looking for, you're not aggressive."

His words were directed at Blaine, but Kurt said them looking at Jamie. The memory of the fear he had felt during their fight the day they broke up was still fresh in his mind.

"Listen to your little boyfriend, Blaine. Or are you guys just fucking? I'd watch out for it if I were you; once a cheater, always a cheater." Jamie said with another laugh as he went to walk around them with a shake of his head.

Blaine shrugged Kurt's hand off of his arm and then reached out to grab Jamie by the shirt. Jamie spun around to glare at Blaine's hand on him and then move closer to him.

"Are you gonna hit me? Do it. I'll get you arrested." Jamie said with a sneer right in Blaine's personal space.

"Trust me, I would love to hit you." Blaine answered with a growl, "but I won't, because I don't want to stress out the love of my life right here."

Blaine glanced over at Kurt with soft eyes before turning a glare back to Jamie.

"Love of your life? Please." Jamie spat out as he tried to get Blaine's hand off of him, but Blaine tightened his grip.

"Yeah, love of my life; my soulmate, my everything. And I don't take kindly to people talking about him like you are. So what if someone cheats? It doesn't give you the right to be a dick."

Kurt knew that Blaine had no intention of actually hitting Jamie, no matter how badly he wanted to do it, but he didn't trust Jamie. He could hit Blaine first or keep taunting him until he couldn't control himself anymore.

So he approached them, turning his back on Jamie and cupping Blaine's face in his hands.

"Honey, please, let him go. Do it for me. There's something I want to say to him, and I can't do it while you have him grabbed by his cheap shirt."

Blaine sighed and released his grip on Jamie's shirt, nodding at Kurt before stepping backwards.

"Thank you." Kurt stepped between them, covering Blaine completely so Jamie could only look at him. "I could apologize to you again for cheating on you, but you lost that right when you treated me like trash when we broke up. I don't know why you're so hurt, when it's more than obvious that you weren't in love with me. I think this boast of toxic masculinity is just the way your wounded pride has to protest because someone had the audacity to cheat on you, the perfect and wonderful Jamie."

He crossed his arms over his chest, feeling more confident as he spoke.

"If you had bothered to get to know me a little during the three years we were together, you would know that I was never looking for sex with Blaine. Obviously I saw something in him that I didn't have, something that I had been looking for my whole life, and that's love. The purest and most sincere love that someone can feel, the love that comes from a soulmate. This man here has made me feel more alive than ever in my life, and it's none of your business, but the simple touch of his hand in mine is more exciting than everything we did in our shitty relationship. So please, have a little self-esteem and go away. I hope you find someone who loves you this way."

Blaine watched Kurt with pride as he tore down his ex-boyfriend, and after he finished, Blaine sighed loudly behind him.

"God, I love you." He said aloud.

Jamie didn't respond to Kurt. He just huffed and then walked away.

As soon as he saw Jamie go down the street, Kurt took a deep breath and walked towards Blaine, wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him closer. He didn't say anything for a moment, just hugged Blaine and let his scent help him calm down.

Blaine hugged him tighter as he whispered to him.

"That was epic, baby. 100 points to Gryffindor." He tried to joke to make Kurt feel better.

Kurt chuckled against Blaine's shoulder, and pulled away so he could look at him, his hands resting on the back of his neck.

"I don't know where I got the strength to tell him all that, but it's like I've lifted a weight off my shoulders. For a second, I was about to let you hit him." He raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips so Blaine knew he wasn't serious.

"With people like him, I don't think punches work." Blaine chuckled a little before his face turned serious as he cupped Kurt's cheek, "are you okay?"

"Yeah, just so happy to have you." Kurt replied, leaning into the touch. "And I'm also happy that you didn't hurt your hand because of him, since I'm gonna need you to have both of them working properly when we get to the apartment." He nuzzled his nose against Blaine's before looking at him with darkened eyes.

"I thought this little confrontation might have ruined our plans." Blaine said a little hopeful and also relieved, "now, I'm only going to ask one more time. Are you sure?"

"Nobody is going to ruin this night for us." Kurt said before doing something to show him how sure he was: he gently kissed Blaine's lips and sighed, his breath mixing with Blaine's. "Do you still need me to answer?"

"Well, then let's not waste any more time on these streets." Blaine said with a grin before grabbing Kurt's hand and pulling him into a run, "onward!"

Kurt laughed at the silliness of his boyfriend, but he ran with him anyway. He didn't care about the passers-by that were looking at them strangely as they ran and giggled together. He didn't care that this was such a childish thing to do.

All he cared about was the man by his side, looking happy, and free, and so energetic. It made Kurt's heart warm just by looking at Blaine's wide smile.

They ran all the way back to Kurt's place, catching their breath at the door before going inside the building, giving each other dark looks. 

That night was going to be fun.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ready for sexy times?! XD

Kurt closed the door of his apartment feeling that the butterflies in his stomach could come out burning with the fire that ran through his body. He was nervous, he was turned on, but he was also very sure. 

Blaine was standing next to him, by the door, like this was the first time in this place and he didn't know where he had to go. 

Kurt looked at him as a giggle escaped his lips. 

"We're not going to do it against the entrance wall, you can come in." He said, his voice sounding strangely low.

Blaine grinned and moved to cup Kurt's cheeks. He gave him a big smile, charming and full of love. 

"I love you." He said as he closed the distance and kissed Kurt's lips softly.

That was all that Kurt needed. As soon as Blaine's lips touched his, the nerves disappeared and were replaced by desire. Kurt quickly wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist as his lips pressed hungrily against his boyfriend's. 

He started walking as they kissed, moving forward until they reached the living room. He only pulled away from Blaine when his foot hit the table. 

"Shit!" Kurt exclaimed with a wince.

"Oh…" Blaine winced with him as he held Kurt up a little, "are you alright, baby?" 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry. It was my fault for not turning on the lights." Kurt chuckled on Blaine's lips before kissing him again and leading him into the bedroom.

Once they were in Kurt's bedroom, Blaine took both of Kurt's hands and stopped him from moving, pulling him to stand in front of him for a moment. 

Kurt looked at him a little confused, but Blaine only smiled at him before dropping his hands and then going to turn on the lamp on Kurt's nightstand. Once the room was bathed in the soft glow of the light from the lamp, he walked back to Kurt and took his hands again. 

"What do you want to happen tonight?" Blaine asked seriously, with a small smile as he played with Kurt's fingers in his.

Kurt bit his lip before speaking. Picturing it in his head was one thing, but talking about it was different. 

"I thought it was clear." He replied, blushing lightly.

"Beautiful, tell me." Blaine gently insisted, "it's just me." 

He leaned in closer, so that Kurt could whisper it to him. He really needed clear instruction about what was going to happen, so that he knew whether he had to take control or not. 

He could sense that his soulmate was nervous and excited, and he knew he wanted them to have sex, but he needed to hear it out loud.

Kurt sighed. Blaine was right; he was in front of the man he loved. Nothing was going to go wrong, he just had to be honest. 

"I want you to make love to me." He finally said, his lips almost brushing against Blaine's ear.

"Okay." Blaine responded equally as quietly, and then turned to press a kiss to Kurt's cheek, "do you mind if I take control for now, baby?" 

He pulled back to look into Kurt's eyes, trying to convey love and respect as he looked into them.

Kurt stared at him, and knew he had never felt as safe as he did in Blaine's arms. He just wanted to feel and let himself go. 

"I want you to do it. I trust you, and I love you." He said with a small smile on his lips.

"Good." Blaine gave him a grin before wrapping his arms around Kurt's waist and crowding in close. 

He nuzzled his nose against Kurt's and then sealed their lips together. It wasn't rushed, it wasn't hard, but as he brushed his tongue against Kurt's bottom lip, it became passionate and full of love.

Kurt parted his lips to give Blaine access as a small growl escaped his throat. His whole body was shaking, so he held on tightly to Blaine's shoulders.

Blaine hummed low in his throat and wrapped his arms tighter around Kurt's waist to pick him up a little so that his feet were off the floor. Hearing the little squeak Kurt made just made him kiss him deeper. 

He pulled out of their kiss for a second. 

"Wrap your legs around me." He said in a low rough voice before kissing him again.

Kurt immediately obeyed and wrapped his legs around Blaine's waist, holding on tight and trying to pull him as close as possible. 

Then he sucked Blaine's tongue into his mouth, knowing the effect that had on his boyfriend.

Blaine groaned as he walked towards the bed with Kurt wrapped around him. Kurt was still sucking his tongue lightly as Blaine leaned over the bed gently to place Kurt's back against the covers. 

His hands left Kurt's waist to pull Kurt's arms from his neck, and push his hands into the bed on either side of Kurt's head. He pulled out of the kiss slowly, dragging his tongue along Kurt's as he left his mouth. 

"Keep your hands there." He said with a grin as he opened his eyes and stared into Kurt's, both gazes dark with want.

"O-okay." Kurt stuttered as he tried to catch his breath after the kiss. 

If Blaine asked him not to move his hands, he wouldn't, although right now he would even be able to jump out of a window if he told him to. His mind was completely clouded with arousal.

Blaine's gaze was still on Kurt's as he ran his hands from Kurt's wrists up his arms, fingers dragging in the material of his shirt as he reached his shoulders. 

His hands made a path over both sides of Kurt's chest, thumbs moving over both nipples as they ran down, but Blaine had to moved off of Kurt slightly to run his hands down his abdomen. 

Once he reached Kurt's hips, his hands ran over the hardness underneath the zipper of Kurt's jeans slowly, making Kurt moan lightly and move his hips into it. 

Blaine suppressed a groan of his own as he continued on his path, down each of Kurt's thighs, stopping to squeeze the muscles gently, and then over his knees and down to his ankles. 

Once he reached Kurt's boots, he leaned forward to nuzzle his face against the inside of one of Kurt's thighs as he started to remove Kurt's boots.

Kurt lifted his head slightly to look at Blaine. A part of him wanted to yell at his boyfriend to leave his boots where they were and take care of the problem under his pants. 

He wasn't used to long foreplay, and the slowness with which Blaine had stroked his entire body, even over his clothes, had given him goosebumps.

Blaine moved slowly to the other thigh, rubbing his cheek against the material as he removed the other boot, and then peeled Kurt's socks off before moving his hands back up the path they had come down. 

As he moved his hands back up along Kurt's abdomen, Blaine kicked off his own boots and then climbed back onto the bed to straddle his boyfriend. Once his hands ran back up to Kurt's chest, he grinned at the look on Kurt's face, spying the impatience there. 

"What's the matter? Don't you like this?" He asked with a little teasing tone.

"Yeah, I love it." Kurt nodded to give his words more credibility. "But I'm dying here... let me at least take your jacket off." He made an attempt to bring his hands up to Blaine, but then he remembered he shouldn't move them and stopped halfway.

"Ah-ah, hands back where they were, sweetheart." Blaine laughed as Kurt huffed and dropped his hands back to the bed beside his head, "we'll get to me soon. But you first, angel face." 

He grinned again as he silently started undoing the buttons on Kurt's shirt, fingers dipping under the material as every inch of skin was revealed. 

"God, you're so beautiful, so perfect..." He was whispering into the room as he watched Kurt's chest rising and falling. 

Soon, all of the buttons were undone, and Blaine ran his hands along the smooth, warm skin underneath, groaning as he dug his fingertips into the muscles gently.

Kurt moaned loudly as he brought his chest closer to Blaine's hands, trying to feel each touch more, because he needed more; he wanted everything from Blaine.

Blaine leaned down to run his lips over the skin just below Kurt's chest. In the middle, underneath his heart, his tongue flicked against Kurt's skin as he opened his lips, and then dragged them up, and up, and up, until he came to a stop at Kurt's collarbone. He kissed the skin there, running his tongue along where the skin was taught over the bone and then bitting down gently.

"Fuck, baby..." Kurt growled, tilting his head to the side so that Blaine had better access to his neck. 

He dug his nails into the palms of his hands to fight the urge to sink his fingers into Blaine's curls.

Blaine sucked a faint mark against Kurt's skin, grinning down at the redness as he pulled away and then sat up. He leaned to grab Kurt's hands to make his boyfriend sit up too. 

When they were both sitting up on the bed, Blaine connected their lips again, pushing his tongue through Kurt's lips as his hands pushed Kurt's shirt from his shoulders. 

As Kurt pulled his arms free of the material, Blaine grinned into the kiss and threw the shirt across to the other side of the room. 

He started removing his jacket when Kurt's hands stopped him.

"Let me do it." Kurt asked, and seeing Blaine smile in response, he quickly brought his hands up to the lapels of Blaine's jacket, quickly sliding it over his shoulders and dropping it to the floor. 

Kurt started rubbing his hands over the fabric of Blaine's shirt, his eyes locked on the skin peeking out from behind the buttons that were already undone. 

"This shirt has been haunting me all night." He admitted. Kurt leaned in until his lips touched Blaine's neck, and started running his lips and tongue over it as he undid the rest of the buttons. 

As soon as the shirt was open, the two of them made it drop onto the bed, before Kurt grabbed it and threw it next to his. Then he pressed his mouth back to Blaine's neck, while his hands caressed the skin of Blaine's bare chest greedily.

"I want you so bad...you have no idea." Blaine moaned out as he threw his head back a little, giving Kurt more room to kiss his neck, "I've been waiting for this night..." 

He gasped as Kurt's hands ran down his abdomen, the sensation tickling slightly but making him excited too. 

He pulled Kurt's mouth away from his neck with both hands gripping the sides of Kurt's face, sliding their lips together again as he leaned into Kurt, making his boyfriend lay back down on the bed.

When his back touched the mattress again, and without separating his lips from Blaine's, Kurt quickly put his hands on the back of Blaine's neck to deepen the kiss, before lifting them until his fingers were lost in those curls he adored, and he couldn't contain a smile.

Blaine pulled away from Kurt's mouth with a small laugh, eyes shining with amusement and love as he looked down at Kurt. 

"Those hands of yours aren't going to leave my hair now, are they?" He teased as Kurt smiled back at him.

Kurt bit his lower lip as he shook his head. 

"I can't help it." He chuckled before tangling his fingers a little more and giving a gentle tug. "The curls drive me crazy."

Blaine moaned a little as Kurt pulled at his hair, and then smiled at him as he thrust his hips down, making Kurt gasp and groan loudly. 

"Bet I can distract you from them, though." 

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hands from his hair and then shuffled down to place his hands on Kurt's jeans, fingers dipping underneath the waistband of them before he worked open the button and zipper quickly. 

He moved his face to Kurt's stomach, kissing and biting gently over the skin, and then licking a path across Kurt's navel before sliding his tongue over to one of Kurt's hip bones. 

Blaine used his hands to pull off Kurt's jeans as he continued licking and sucking Kurt's hip bone and the skin around it.

"Oh my god..." Kurt threw his head back, burying it in the pillow as he pushed his hips up, seeking more contact. The tightness in his crotch was starting to be painful.

Blaine smiled against the skin as he finally managed to pull Kurt's jeans down his thighs and then slid them off completely, leaving Kurt laying underneath him in just his tight boxer briefs. 

Blaine's mouth watered as he looked at the bulge in them, watching as it moved a little as his hands stroked over Kurt's naked thighs. 

"So mouth wateringly, gorgeous...how did I get so lucky?" He asked, and ran his hands lightly from Kurt's thighs up to his hip bones and then across the bottom of his abdomen. 

Kurt's muscles jumped a little underneath his skin, and Blaine moved his hand down to hover over the hardness below. He placed one finger at the very tip of Kurt's erection, pushing down gently and feeling the dampness coming from it.

Kurt couldn't contain the scream that escaped his mouth, but this wasn't the time to worry that the neighbors would overhear them and put an unfriendly face at him if they crossed paths on the stairs. It was true that he had never been very loud during sex, but Blaine hadn't even removed his boxers and had him yelling already.

Blaine groaned at the sound Kurt made and quickly pulled Kurt's underwear off of his legs, throwing them in the same direction as his shirt. 

Then he kept one hand on Kurt's stomach, and used his other hand to pull open his own jeans and slid them down his legs, along with his underwear, before getting rid of them. In a show of strength again, he moved over Kurt, kneeling on the bed and placed both hands underneath Kurt's shoulders to move him up to the pillows of the bed. 

Kurt was a little surprised but ultimately turned on as Blaine moved him bodily. Blaine moved over him once he was in the right place and smiled down at him, his eyes dark but soft and warm. 

"I'm going to show you how good it feels to be underneath me, baby...you'll never want to be anywhere else." He whispered.

Kurt could only gasp as he looked at Blaine with wide eyes and nodded. His heart was beating furiously against his rib cage, and a searing heat was born in his stomach and focused on his erection. 

Blaine's eyes conveyed so much to him that Kurt needed to kiss him. He dug his fingers into Blaine's shoulders to draw him in and his mouth collided eagerly with Blaine's.

Blaine moved Kurt's thighs apart with one of his knees so that he could settle his hips in between them and then pushed down gently against Kurt. He swallowed the gasp Kurt made into his mouth, and pushed his tongue through those open lips to slide against the other tongue inside. 

With their chests and hips touching, Blaine gently began moving against him, sliding their erections together and moaning into Kurt's mouth. He kept one hand up by Kurt's head, bent at the elbow to support him, and the other one made small paths along Kurt's naked side and down to his hip, gripping gently. 

Kurt was dulled by the sensations. Blaine's tongue moving like that into his mouth was enough for Kurt to lose it, but now he also had the feeling of Blaine's cock rubbing against his with no clothes in between. They hadn't done it like that since their first night together, and Kurt could only think that he didn't need anything else in life. 

He thrusted up as Blaine pushed down, and slid his hands down Blaine's back to his ass, squeezing the hard muscle under his hands.

"Ah, baby..." Blaine gasped loudly as he pulled back, "where's the lube?" 

He moved his mouth to the side of Kurt's neck, sucking tiny marks against the skin; nothing too hard or too much, just enough for him to see them.

Whimpering softly as Blaine sucked his neck, Kurt managed to reach out and open the first drawer of the nightstand, so Blaine could get the lube and condoms out of there.

Blaine pulled his face away from Kurt's neck to look in the drawer, grabbing the lube and a condom and placing them down on the bed. 

He stopped thrusting against Kurt for a moment and just used his hands to hold Kurt's face, while he rested his weight on his elbows.

There were no words needed between them as Blaine stared into his soulmate's eyes. Eyes that shone with trust, and love, and want for him.

His own eyes probably reflected it like a mirror. He leaned down and placed a few gentle kisses onto Kurt's lips before moving down the bed a little, so that he came face to face with Kurt's cock.

Before he did anything, though, he grabbed the lube and coated three fingers in it, and then he trailed his lips down the side of the hard appendage in front of him.

Blaine's lips on his cock sent an electric current to every inch of his skin. Kurt could only spread his legs wider until he was completely exposed to the man he loved as he bit down hard on his lower lip.

Blaine used his dry hand to stroke along Kurt's thigh, trying to relax his boyfriend a little more as his mouth worked over his erection. As soon as he reached the tip of it, he opened his lips and sank down, sliding down it slowly as one of his lube covered fingers made circles around Kurt's hole underneath.

"Fuck, Blaine." Kurt said in a kind of growl. The sensation was so intense that for a second he tensed against Blaine's finger, but then he focused on how Blaine's mouth engulfed him and he began to relax. 

He had to restrain himself from thrusting inside Blaine's mouth, but he held back and simply brought a hand up to Blaine's head to gently grab his hair.

Blaine hummed around Kurt's cock as he felt Kurt's fingers run through his hair. He was making harder circles with his finger now, making sure that the muscles were relaxed and the tension had eased before pushing the tip of his finger inside Kurt's body. 

He groaned when Kurt's muscles clamped down around it, though, and made sure to keep moving his mouth over his cock to distract his mind from it.

Kurt let out a low groan as Blaine's finger pushed inside him. This part was always a bit tricky for him; it used to take a while for him to fully relax, but Blaine's lips slid masterfully over him and Kurt's mind just focused on that. His full lips gliding, his tongue licking him... it was too pleasant. 

"Don't stop, Blaine... go on, honey." He managed to mutter in a shaky voice.

Blaine thrust his finger slowly in and out, the same as his mouth was moving up and down. He synchronized both movements, knowing that it was easier to ignore the unpleasant one when it was over-ridden by a more pleasurable one.

Kurt's moans constantly filled the room. The hand that wasn't between Blaine's curls gripped the sheet tightly, and after a few seconds, he began to push down on Blaine's finger.

Blaine internally sighed with relief as Kurt's hips began to move, and now knowing that Kurt was accepting the stretch, Blaine moved another finger to push in along side the first one. It was tight, but he sped up the movements of his mouth to try and hide it.

"Baby, your mouth... your mouth is so fucking good." Kurt whispered.

He only felt the pressure of the second finger for a moment, but then he relaxed. He lovingly stroked Blaine's curls between his fingers before asking him something. 

"Can I... thrust a little?" His words came out mixed with a groan.

Blaine looked up at Kurt's face and nodded a little without removing his mouth, and still thrusting two fingers inside Kurt slowly, gently.

Kurt thrusted his hips up so softly, glancing almost unblinkingly at Blaine to make sure it wasn't too much. When he touched Blaine's throat and then pushed his hips back to collide with Blaine's fingers, he was about to come.

Blaine groaned and moved the hand that wasn't working Kurt open underneath Kurt's ass, gripping him tightly and pulling his hips into him more. He was forcing Kurt to thrust a bit harder, and he pushed his third finger inside at the same time that Kurt's cock went down his throat a little.

A growl formed in Kurt's throat and came out from between his lips in the form of a high-pitched scream. He tightened around Blaine's fingers inside him as his hips gained confidence and began to thrust steadily, his cock sinking down Blaine's throat. 

"Baby... you should... stop... I'm not... gonna last." He stammered in time with his thrusts.

Blaine hummed and sped up again, sinking down over Kurt and thrusting his three fingers inside him deeper, reaching forward for his prostate now that Kurt was stretched enough. 

As soon as Blaine's fingers pressed over it, Kurt's entire body shook.

Kurt gasped but no sound came out of his mouth this time as one of the most intense orgasms of his life shook him from head to toe. His fingers sank into the mattress as his entire body tensed in ecstasy, and when the flash of pleasure passed, Kurt was completely slumped on the bed, eyes closed and some strands of hair disheveled on his forehead.

Blaine pulled away, swallowing the liquid in his mouth quickly and then smiling softly as he got up to his knees. He watched Kurt lay back and breathe while he tore open a condom packet and then put it on.

He flicked the cap open on the lube again and made sure to lather as much as he could over his own dick, which had been waiting so hard all this time. He hissed a little as he stroked himself.

Kurt opened his eyes as he noticed Blaine move, and the image of his boyfriend stroking himself with his lips parted and his eyes completely darkened was almost enough to make him hard again. 

"Why did you...?" He started to ask, but his mind wasn't quite awake yet and Blaine's hand spreading the lube on his cock distracted him from what he was going to say.

"Well, it's a lot easier to be a bottom once you're properly relaxed, and you were overthinking and nervous, so I knew I had to loosen you up beforehand." Blaine explained as he moved between Kurt's legs again and lifted his knees up so that he could get into the proper position.

He just put the tip of his cock onto Kurt's stretched entrance, and he stopped and gave Kurt a soft smile.

"This isn't over yet, darling." He said as he began to push inside Kurt, a little bit at a time, but Kurt was still relaxed down there, so it wasn't that difficult to push in.

Kurt moaned as he felt Blaine moving inside him, opening him little by little. He wrapped his arms around Blaine's shoulders until his boyfriend's entire body was pressed on his. 

"I love it when you read my mind." He giggled before groaning a little louder as Blaine's full cock entered him.

Blaine grinned back at him as he paused for a second now that he was all the way inside him. As Kurt's muscles clamped down on him in a left over spasm from his orgasm, he groaned before his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth dropped open.

"You feel so good...and you're so tight..." He said as he leaned down to kiss Kurt's lips lightly, "are you okay? It doesn't hurt, right?"

"I'm so okay." Kurt chased Blaine's lips until they kissed deeply. 

The pressure of Kurt's muscles on Blaine relaxed, and he reluctantly broke the kiss. 

"You can move, baby." He whispered, his eyes looking at Blaine with confidence.

Blaine sealed their lips together again as he began to move slowly, pulling his hips back and then pushing them against Kurt. The sensation was so intense, the feel of Kurt around him was so wonderful.

The shivers shooting down his spine, the tingling feeling in his chest that was spreading out to his limbs and the warmth enveloping him entirely as Kurt's arms tightened around him were all so overwhelming, but in the best way.

Blaine had never felt like this before, and he knew that with Kurt it would always be like this. This marvelous feeling of being complete, and being wanted and loved so fully, made him want to scream with delight.

He pulled away from the kiss as his thrusts became harder, Kurt's breath gasping against his face.

"I love you, Kurt." He whispered around a groan.

"I love you too, baby." Kurt replied, surprised to notice a lump of emotion in his throat. 

Sex with Jamie was never like this, not even close... the heat he felt inside him plus the one radiating from Blaine's body was a very powerful sensation. 

Blaine filled him completely over and over again, but Kurt still needed to feel closer to him. He then wrapped his legs around Blaine's waist, making it easier for Blaine to push inside him, and also placed his heels on Blaine's ass to join his thrusts. 

He needed his skin to melt with Blaine's and never let him go.

"Ugh...fuck..." Blaine moaned out as he placed both his arms underneath Kurt's head, gripping his shoulders as he buried his face in the side of his neck, kissing along the skin, which was damp with sweat.

The heat between them built up to a fire as he continued thrusting into Kurt's body.

"Perfect...so p-perfect..." Blaine was mumbling between kisses and licks against Kurt's skin.

Overwhelmed by how he felt, Kurt tightened his arms even more around Blaine's back as a tear slid down his face until it was lost in his hair.

"Never leave me, please." He didn't know where those words came from, but at least Blaine's lips on his neck made him feel a little less vulnerable.

"Never." Blaine groaned as he mumbled back, one of his hands moving so he could bury his fingers in the back of Kurt's hair, holding onto him gently, "I'll never leave you, baby...it's you and me forever."

Blaine's words made Kurt smile and his heart skip a beat. He became aware of all his skin again, and when Blaine slammed into his prostate, he grinded up against Blaine's stomach and realized how hard he was and that it wouldn't take long for him to come again. 

"I won't last, Blaine... I'm so close." He moaned against Blaine's ear.

Blaine pulled his face back out of Kurt's neck because his forehead was sweating and he had to gasp in a few breaths. He looked into Kurt's eyes as he sped up his thrusts a bit more, angling his hips a little better for more movement.

Kurt's face was scrunching up as he was getting closer, and Blaine could feel the moisture between their stomachs, which was a mixture of their combined sweat and Kurt's pre-come.

"Do it, baby...I'm so close too." He said as he grinned down at Kurt for a moment before connecting their mouths, although they both were breathing too hard to kiss properly, so it was just their tongues wrapping around each other and moans mixing between them.

After an especially deep thrust from Blaine, Kurt's entire body tensed and the spark of a fierce orgasm ran through his body for the second time that night, staining both their stomachs when he came as he yelled Blaine's name in a whine.

"Oh god...ah…Kurt..." Blaine groaned louder and louder as he continued thrusting, pushing against Kurt harder until his whole body shook and he yelled out into the air above Kurt's head as he came.

He huffed out as he rode out the high, pushing his face down and underneath Kurt's chin as he thrust gently inside him a few more times, trying to catch the last bits of that overwhelming pleasure before it became too sharp for him to carry on.

He lay on top of Kurt for a few seconds, just breathing loudly, and he could feel Kurt's chest rising and falling rapidly underneath him too.

"I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you." Kurt repeated over and over again in a low voice as he caressed Blaine's sweaty back with his hands, putting down his legs until they were lying on the mattress.

Blaine pulled his face up to Kurt's at the emotion in his boyfriend's voice, feeling like he needed to reassure and comfort him. He placed both of his hands on Kurt's cheeks, stroking the skin slowly as he started to place small kisses all over his chin, his jaw and along his lips, and then ending with one on the tip of his nose.

He pulled out of Kurt's body gently, because it was getting too oversensitive and painful for him to stay inside, and placed their foreheads together.

"I love you too. I'm so happy you're mine." He whispered back.

Kurt smiled happily before lifting his face to kiss Blaine softly. 

"You were right." He said as his fingers played over the skin on the back of Blaine's neck.

"Right about what?" Blaine asked softly with a small smile, still stroking Kurt's face gently.

"I don't want to be anywhere else but underneath you." Kurt giggled, his bright eyes lingering over each of Blaine's features.

Blaine chuckled along with him; the light atmosphere around them was incredibly uplifting. Blaine felt like he was floating on air, and the sound of Kurt's relaxed giggle was music to him.

"You can laugh, but it's the first time I've reached orgasm without having to use my hand." Kurt playfully bit the tip of Blaine's nose.

"Seriously?" Blaine asked a little surprised, and then a little pissed at Kurt's ex, but he shook it off because Kurt didn't have to go through that anymore, "well, you'll never have to use your hand again now that I'm with you."

He grinned at him before moving off of Kurt, rolling to the side of him to take the condom off of his dick and then tying it as best he could so that he could drop it in the waist bin.

He snuggled up to Kurt's side and pulled his boyfriend's head towards his chest. He knew Kurt liked cuddles after sex, and he was really starting to get used to it too.

Kurt curled up on Blaine quickly as his fingers drew circular patterns across Blaine's chest. 

"It was better than the first time, right?" He asked with a small smile.

Blaine smiled as he closed his eyes, wrapping his arm tighter around Kurt. 

"Not gonna lie, the first time was hot and amazing." He replied, "but this was intense and almost magical."

"This was hot too." Kurt teased. "So, so hot. Actually, I think I could use a cold shower, but I don't want to move." 

He placed his leg over Blaine's, and then he realized that maybe his boyfriend needed some space.

"Is this too much?"

"No." Blaine opened his eyes and smiled at him, pulling both arms around Kurt, and holding him in place, "trust me… having you all over me? I'll never get enough of it."

Kurt was invaded by Blaine's scent and the feel of his arms around him. The sex had been amazing, but he liked this part too. 

"Is there any chance that the guys will agree to spend the weekend on their own and you and I stay in this bed? Because right now the rest of the plans seem stupid to me." He laughed as he nuzzled Blaine's smooth skin.

"We could get the TV and set it up in here, and get a mini-fridge for snacks." Blaine added with a smirk, "then we can eat, and sleep, and make love for the whole weekend. But we would miss out on the whole opportunity of being able to show off our relationship."

"Okay, you're right." Kurt gave Blaine's chest a kiss before pulling away and getting off the bed. He went to the bathroom and quickly came back with a damp towel. 

He was getting closer to the bed when he saw Blaine looking him up and down, and realized that for the first time in his life he felt so comfortable with someone that he didn't worry about being naked. 

"Don't look at me like that." He told him before climbing back onto the bed and starting to clean Blaine's abdomen.

Blaine hummed and closed his eyes as Kurt was wiping the drying come off of his stomach; it was the care and affection in it that made his body start reacting. 

He couldn't help it. He had a hot boyfriend who was sitting naked in front of him, and as he opened his eyes, Blaine dragged his gaze over Kurt's lithe, wonderfully pale expanse of skin. He focused on Kurt's cock between his legs for a minute, ending up making himself hard as Kurt finished wiping him down.

Kurt's eyes locked onto a specific part of Blaine's body, which seemed to come to life with his attentions. When Blaine's skin was clean again, he turned the towel over and began to wipe his own stomach in that same position, on his knees next to Blaine. 

He shook his head and decided to concentrate on his boyfriend's face instead, but Blaine's darkened eyes were just as hot as his half-hardened cock. 

"You can't find this arousing." Kurt said, his voice lower than normal.

"On the contrary, my love." Blaine answered in a deep husky voice of his own, "having my boyfriend naked right here taking care of me is very arousing." 

He watched Kurt bite his lip as he looked back and forth between his hard cock and his face.

Kurt threw the towel on the floor, because he wasn't going to go back to the bathroom to leave it there. His fingers itched, drawn to Blaine's naked body. 

Then he figured out that maybe they couldn't spend the whole weekend in bed, but the night wasn't over yet. He moved his hand to place it delicately on Blaine's knee, and began to stroke his thigh upward, just with his fingertips.

Blaine moaned at the feel of Kurt's touch on his thigh, just barely brushing and causing his legs to break out in goosebumps. 

"Not that I'm complaining…let's face it, I'm never going to complain about you touching me." Blaine laughed around a groan as Kurt's fingers went higher, "just letting you know that you don't have to do anything to me just because I'm hard again."

"I know I don't have to, but I really want to." Kurt licked his lips before leaning in until his mouth was on Blaine's thigh, and he repeated the same path his fingers had made but with his tongue this time, as his fingers caressed Blaine's other thigh simultaneously.

"Oh fuck..." Blaine gasped out as his thighs shook a little under Kurt's ministrations.

Kurt smirked against Blaine's skin. Then he moved until he was between Blaine's legs and leaned in again to lick his other thigh. 

"Do you like this?" He asked, his eyes fixed on Blaine's as his tongue went up to his hip.

"Yes." Blaine gasped out as Kurt's tongue flicked across his hip bone, "I love it. Your tongue is amazing."

Seeing the effect he had on Blaine only made Kurt feel more self-confident, and his lips sucked in until a small reddened mark appeared on the skin over Blaine's hip bone. 

"Mine." He whispered, and repeated the same operation on the other hip.

"Oh god..." Blaine exclaimed a little more loudly, and then broke off into a choked gasp as Kurt sucked a mark into his other hip bone, "that feels fucking incredible."

One of his hands reached down to drag his fingers through Kurt's hair, not pulling or pushing, just dragging through the strands. 

His hips moved on their own, bucking up gently as Kurt continued sucking, and his erection bobbed up just underneath Kurt.

When Kurt finished the second mark, he couldn't avoid Blaine's erection any longer, which seemed to be claiming his attention. He wanted to do it, he wanted to know why Blaine found it so pleasurable... he wanted to give him a blowjob.

Kurt brought his lips just a few inches from Blaine's cock, and then looked at him. 

"I've never done it before... you're gonna have to tell me if I'm doing it right." He muttered. His cheeks were flushed, but there was determination in his blue eyes.

"Baby…" Blaine smiled down at him, as he used both of his hands to stroke over Kurt's face, "I'm never going to be the guy who tells you that you're not good at it...if you want to do it, go ahead." 

Blaine rested back again, but kept one hand in Kurt's hair lightly. 

"And if you don't like it, you never have to do it. I don't mind." He added, "but I'm sure you'll be fine."

Something melted inside Kurt, once again turning a sexual act into something else. There was so much love in Blaine's voice that he thought the only way to get off his nerves was to try to return that same love and let himself go. 

That's why he gently pressed his lips to the base of Blaine's cock, and began to cover it with his lips, leaving kisses along its length until he reached the tip. 

Then, guided by instinct and what he had seen Blaine do to him previously, he licked the head of Blaine's cock, without losing eye contact with his boyfriend.

"Holy shit." Blaine flung his head back and desperately gripped the sheets of the bed in one hand, trying not to do the same with Kurt's hair in the other. 

Kurt's lips on his cock were like molten lava, tingling him all over. He wasn't just feeling the pleasure in his dick, it was everywhere. In his chest, in his legs, in his arms, and in his head.

Kurt noticed Blaine's body tense with pleasure at what he was doing, and felt a mixture of pride and arousal. 

His own dick jerked when, after delighting in licking the tip for a few seconds, he placed his lips around it and, very slowly, sank Blaine's cock into his mouth.

"Ah!" Blaine yelled as he could barely control the movements of his hips. He knew that this was Kurt's first time, but it didn't stop him from wanting to dive right into that hot wet heat. 

He had more control than that, though, but he did give a little bit of a forward movement, barely pushing in, and then stopped and waited. 

"Your mouth is so hot and wet...I feel like my whole body is going to either explode or melt." He said out loud as he gently ruffled Kurt's hair underneath his fingers.

Kurt was beginning to understand why Blaine was so interested in doing this to him. There was something incredibly pleasant about feeling Blaine harden inside his mouth. Besides, Blaine's taste was addictive, and Kurt wanted everything his boyfriend could give him. 

He started to move up and down, leaning on Blaine's thighs. When he was about to pull it out of his mouth completely, Kurt made a small sucking motion on the tip before pulling it all the way back in.

"Ungh...don't stop, baby...don't stop doing that." Blaine's moans came faster and more breathless now.

Kurt hummed against Blaine's cock, picking up some speed as one of his hands dug deeper into Blaine's thigh, and the other tentatively began stroking Blaine's balls.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck...I'm getting close…uh!" Blaine said between continual moans and gasps; Kurt was a fast learner, it seemed.

Kurt pressed his lips on Blaine's cock tightly, creating more suction with his tongue and increasing the speed a bit more.

"Okay..." Blaine gasped with a chuckle, "maybe I'm really gonna explode...god..."

Blaine's fingers tightened in the bed sheets, and his moans became louder and louder. Incoherent phrases left his lips, some of it just babbling nonsense, but Kurt did catch the words 'gorgeous' and 'amazing' in there. 

"Last warning to pull away...I'm gonna come, baby." Blaine said down to him, tugging at Kurt's hair a little.

Kurt didn't stop what he was doing, but when he once again slid his mouth until he had all of Blaine's cock in his mouth, he looked at his boyfriend from that position, trying to tell him with his eyes that he wasn't going to pull away. 

Then he brought one of his hands to his own erection and stroked himself in time with his mouth moving over Blaine, while his other hand rubbed against Blaine's balls a bit harder.

"Ah...ah..." Blaine choked off his gasps with a loud moan that burst out of his throat, something halfway between a growl and Kurt's name all rolled into one sound. 

He came in Kurt's mouth, his abdominal muscles clenching as he stared down at Kurt, scrunching his eyes but not completely shutting them. Wave after wave of pleasure ran through his body as aftershocks took him, while Kurt's mouth stayed on his cock.

Kurt felt Blaine release into his mouth; it was a different feeling, but not at all disgusting. He increased the stroking until he came too, moaning against Blaine's dick and swallowing everything at the same time. 

He stayed like that for a few seconds until his own pulse slowed down again. He pulled Blaine's cock out of his mouth with a wet 'pop', and then he used his tongue to lick the remaining drops of come on it. 

Without thinking too much, he wiped his hand over the sheets and looked at Blaine from that same position as he bit his lip, like a kid waiting for a test grade.

Blaine had a relaxed smile on his face as he was staring down at Kurt. He made a gesture with his hands for Kurt to come up and lay down with him.

Kurt didn't hesitate for a second and climbed up the bed to snuggle up next to Blaine again, his head on Blaine's chest like there was no other possible place for him to rest. 

He lifted his face a little so he could look Blaine in the eye.

"Are you waiting for my brain to travel back up to my head in order to give you the results on how you did it?" Blaine asked with a smirk, "because it checked out like 5 minutes ago."

Kurt chuckled as he wrapped his arm around Blaine's waist tightly. 

"I just want to know if you liked it." He admitted quietly. "I know I don't have any practice, but..." He trailed off when he noticed he was blushing. 

Kurt wasn't an idiot; he knew he would have done something right if Blaine had come, but he couldn't help feeling a bit insecure at his lack of experience.

"Okay." 

Blaine grabbed Kurt and rolled them over, laughing at Kurt's giggle as he landed on top of him, straddling Kurt's thighs with his legs and placing both hands underneath the back of Kurt's neck. 

"So you really want to know if you were any good…" He started as he placed his lips to Kurt's cheek, talking against the skin, "sweetheart, it's like I'd never had a blowjob before. You literally make me feel like I've never done anything before meeting you...and it's incredible."

"Really?" Kurt's face lit up as he placed his hands on the small of Blaine's back to pull him closer. "It's been a pleasure, literally." He smirked and turned his face to briefly kiss Blaine's lips.

Blaine hummed against Kurt's lips, smiling into the kiss. As he pulled away, he nuzzled their noses together. 

"You know… sometimes, when we're together like this, all I want to do is sing to you." He whispered against Kurt's lips as his eyes shone brightly.

Kurt's eyes widened, surprised and excited. 

"Well, I won't be the one to tell you not to. I love your voice." He leaned in a little to kiss Blaine again, his lips leaving a couple of tender kisses on his. "And I love you. So... will you sing to me?"

"This is going to be so cliché." Blaine said as he shook his head with a laugh, before climbing off of Kurt and standing on the bed. He cleared his throat as he looked down at him with a smile. 

"Hold me, hold me  
And never let me go until you've told me, told me…" 

Kurt giggled as Blaine sang at the top of his voice. It was late and he was probably going to get some complaints from his neighbours, but again, he couldn't care any less. 

Blaine raised a hand out towards him with a smile. 

"What I want to know and then just hold me, hold me  
Make me tell you I'm in love with you"

Kurt put his hands to his mouth, laughing excitedly. He couldn't believe that he and Blaine were naked in his bed after making love and now his boyfriend was singing to him in the middle of the night. 

God, he had never been so happy.

"Kiss me, kiss me  
And when you do, I know that you  
Will miss me, miss me  
If we ever say 'Adieu', so kiss me, kiss me  
Make me tell you I'm in love with you" 

Blaine laughed at the end and fell down to his knees, straddling his boyfriend again and then claiming his lips in a kiss.

Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck as he responded to the kiss, his lips not wanting to let go of Blaine's. 

When Blaine finally pulled away a bit, Kurt looked at him trying to turn the smile that split his face in two into a pout. 

"So I have to make you tell me that you' re in love with me? I thought that was already clear." He teased, wrinkling his nose in an adorable gesture.

"You don't have to make me do anything, I'll do it all the time." Blaine smiled as he nuzzled Kurt's cheek, and then his nose, and then pressed a kiss to his forehead, all while muttering 'I love you' over and over again.

Kurt laughed as Blaine's lips filled his face with kisses and he felt that warmth inside him, that comforting feeling of being loved. 

"If you keep doing that, I'm never gonna let you go and you'll have to move into this bed, between my arms, for the rest of your life." He jokingly threatened Blaine.

Blaine dropped his smile a little as he looked at Kurt seriously, staring at him with all the love in the world. 

"It wouldn't be bad to be in your bed forever." He said cautiously but happily as his face turned soft, and his eyelids dropped a little.

Kurt noticed the slight change in Blaine's expression. Maybe it was too soon to talk about 'the rest of their lives', even if he already felt that way. Although Blaine didn't seem scared, just wary, Kurt dropped the subject. 

"Someone's sleepy..." He pointed at Blaine's face with a smile. "I need to go to the bathroom for a moment, and I think we should change the sheets, I wiped my hand on them."

Blaine got up as Kurt walked to the bathroom, thinking for a moment. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything, he frowned to himself.

Was this what love was like? You wanted to spend as much time with your other half as possible, and Blaine already knew that. But talking about the future and moving in together...should he feel scared?

He had never felt this way about anyone before. Was living together such a big leap if you wanted to be with someone? Maybe it was, he had no idea.

He had never had a boyfriend before.

He sighed as he climbed out of bed and went to the leather box at the bottom of Kurt's bed, where he knew he kept the sheets. He got a new one out and changed the bed for Kurt. He was already in his boxers and sitting on the freshly made bed when Kurt walked back in.

"You already changed the bed." Kurt told him with a smile before going over to the closet for some clean boxers. He put them on and sat next to Blaine on the bed. "Are you okay?" He asked him, cupping Blaine's cheek with his hand.

Blaine gave him a big smile and turned to kiss Kurt's hand.

"I'm okay, I promise. Best night ever." He said, and then his voice cut off as a yawn broke through.

"Best night ever." Kurt repeated, kissing Blaine's cheek before laying down on the bed. "Come here." He said, opening his arms to Blaine.

Blaine crawled into Kurt's arms a little quickly, because he felt a tiny bit vulnerable now. Maybe it was just nerves; he didn't know.

It would have to be a conversation shelved for later.

As Kurt wrapped his arms around him and settled down into the covers, a shot of fear ran through Blaine that made him tense a little.

When he was about to turn off the lamp on the nightstand, Kurt noticed Blaine's body slightly stiff in his arms, and he couldn't help but worry. 

He had had a moment of weakness while they made love, asking his boyfriend to never leave him, but perhaps Blaine had blamed it on the heat of the moment, because that second comment did seem to have caused a change in him. 

Kurt placed one of his hands under Blaine's chin, gently making him turn his face to look at him. 

"Sure you're okay?" He asked, trying to hide his own concern.

Blaine chuckled a little nervously and turned his eyes down.

"It's silly." He said softly, but as Kurt held his chin and tilted his face back up to look at him, he smiled nervously at him, "I just...you'll definitely be here in the morning, right?"

Okay, Kurt was very worried now.

He looked at Blaine blankly, but instinctively he tightened his arm around him.

"Of course, baby. Where was I going to be? Why are you asking me that?" He asked with a frown.

"I told you it was silly." Blaine tried to laugh it off.

Kurt wanted to insist. Something inside him told him that Blaine was concerned and that they should talk about it to fix it... but another little voice in his head, the one that had let him be vulnerable in body and soul that night, yelled at him that maybe he could get hurt from that. 

Despite loving each other, were he and Blaine going at different rates in their relationship? Was his dad right after all and Kurt was going too fast?

He grinned at Blaine, hoping his boyfriend didn't notice that the smile didn't reach his eyes, before turning off the light. Blaine snuggled into his arms as Kurt kissed his forehead.

"Okay. Good night, baby." He whispered.

"Good night, darling." Blaine whispered back.

However, it took them a long time to fall asleep, both lost in their own thoughts.


	30. Chapter 30

Blaine jolted awake. It was hazy and cold there. And dark, very dark. He couldn't see anything. He reached a hand up to his face to rub at his tired eyes a little, before reaching a hand out on the bed...and feeling nothing but cold space. 

Kurt? Where was he? Kurt wasn't in bed, where did he go? 

Blaine shot up out of the bed as quickly as he could, getting caught in the tangled sheets for a second. He stumbled towards where he thought the door was, but it was different; that wasn't Kurt's bedroom. He would swear he had fallen asleep in Kurt's bed, but this was his own room. 

Weird. 

He could make out hazy light coming through his window pane, but he still couldn't see much in there. It was so cold and dark. It was too silent. 

He ran through his apartment as fast as he could, checking everywhere for any sign of Kurt, but he was nowhere to be found. 

Blaine's breathing became harder, like he couldn't get any air into his lungs, and he clutched at his chest as he walked back to the living room. He had to find Kurt; he told him he wouldn't be alone. Kurt said he would be there. And yet he wasn't. 

The walls around Blaine were dark as he started yelling. 

"Kurt? Where are you, Kurt?" 

He stumbled his way around again, feeling his chest tighten with anxiety. No, this couldn't be happening. Kurt loved him, he said he did. He was supposed to be there with him. Maybe Blaine was so unloveable that Kurt somehow knew it, and he left again. 

"Kurt?" 

He looked in his bedroom one last time, and something pulled him to the window. He pulled the drapes back and looked down at the hazy outline of the street below. Kurt was walking down the street. Where was he going? It made no sense, it was still dark out. 

Blaine began banging on the glass of the window, thumping his fist against it harshly. 

"Kurt! Kurt! Please come back!" He yelled, fearing his lungs were about to implode because he couldn't suck in any air, "please...don't leave!" 

Kurt didn't turn; he picked up his pace and walked away. Blaine could feel the tears on his face as he crumpled to the floor of his bedroom, shaking from head to toe. This couldn't be happening again. He was alone. Blaine hated being alone. 

It was dark. It was cold. And so, so lonely there. 

"Kurt, please...please...I need you..." 

The dark was suffocating him...he couldn't breathe... 

Blaine gasped awake as a warm hand clamped over his shoulder. He looked to his right to see Kurt looking at him tiredly but with a frown of worry across his face.

"Kurt?" 

"Blaine, are you alright?" He asked lightly. 

Blaine didn't answer, but he could feel his breathing evening out.

"Blaine?" Kurt tried again, but Blaine just looked at him as if trying to figure out if he was really there or not. "Blaine, baby, it's alright. I think you had a nightmare." 

With shaking hands, Blaine just clung to Kurt and started crying against his shoulder. 

"You're... you're here, you're here, you... you didn't go." He sobbed, his hands gripping Kurt's back. 

Kurt felt like someone stabbed him in the heart. A few minutes ago, he was sleeping peacefully, but then he noticed Blaine tossing and turning on the bed. He woke up and turned on the light, ready to ask Blaine what was wrong, but he realized that his boyfriend had his eyes closed and an expression of terrible suffering on his face.

He tried to wake him up, but Blaine didn't seem to hear him. He just growled, and then he started screaming. He yelled Kurt's name and asked where he was, and panic seized Kurt, but when he was wondering if he should just shake Blaine until he woke up, his boyfriend sat on the bed suddenly as if he was out of breath. 

And now that he was finally awake, he was crying and hugging him with... fear? Despair? Kurt didn't know what to do, but the only thing he could think of was to wrap his arms around Blaine and pull him closer, trying to give him the comfort he needed. 

"It's okay, my love. Everything is fine, I'm here. Don't cry, please. It's okay, just breathe." He shushed him. 

For a few minutes, Kurt didn't say anything else, he just held Blaine tightly in his arms until he stopped shaking. When the sobs turned to little hiccups, Kurt pulled away to cup Blaine's face in his hands. 

"Do you feel better?" He asked in a low voice. 

Blaine just nodded, but his puffy red eyes and soaked cheeks was an image that made Kurt want to cry himself. 

He wiped Blaine's face as best he could with his thumbs before leaning in and filling his cheeks with kisses until Blaine gave him a tiny smile. 

"Okay, now that's better." He said, giving Blaine one more kiss, this time on his forehead, which was sweaty from the nightmare. "Why don't we go to the kitchen? I can make us some tea and we'll talk about this, okay?" 

Before Blaine could come up with an excuse, Kurt added a 'please' that his boyfriend couldn't refuse. 

Kurt got off the bed and held out his hand to Blaine, who took it and let Kurt lead him into the kitchen. 

As Kurt boiled up the water, neither of them said anything. But when he sat down at the kitchen table next to Blaine and handed him a cup of tea, they looked at each other, knowing it was time to speak.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Kurt looked at him worried.

"I don't really remember the actual theme of the nightmare." Blaine said a little vaguely, "but I know I was alone."

"You were screaming my name, asking where I was." Kurt explained. 

Blaine sighed a little and took a sip of his drink first. 

"You were gone...my worst fear." He said quietly, almost afraid to voice it. 

"Why? I mean, it's not like I ever..." Kurt fell silent when he realized it. "Our first night together." 

"I didn't blame you for freaking out and scarpering." Blaine said with another resigned sigh, "but...it just affected me more, I guess." 

"But baby, with everything we've been through since then... do you really think I'm going to run away in the middle of the night again? I… Blaine, I love you." Kurt said, taking his hand over the table. 

"I know, I love you too." Blaine threaded their fingers together, "but even if we're soulmates, even if we're in love...that's not going to erase my fear of not deserving someone like you." 

"Since when do you think like this? I didn't know that you were worried about that, I..." Kurt shook his head without understanding, feeling like an idiot. "Did you have this kind of nightmare before?" 

"About you? No."

Kurt narrowed his eyes; that answer was given too quickly. Maybe Blaine hadn't had nightmares about him, but he had probably had others. Kurt needed to know. 

"About what then?" He asked, pushing the issue lightly.

"I had one the night Nate and Dylan stayed a few weeks back...it was about Marcus." Blaine explained, "I used to have them when I was a kid. Stress nightmares, the doctor called them." He added after a short pause.

"Okay." Kurt ran a hand over his face, trying to compose himself. "Why didn't you ever tell me about this?"

"Because apart from my...father," Blaine said slowly, "and Nate and Dylan, now you're the only one that knows. I don't tell people...I'm not ashamed or anything, but it's not something I really think about."

It was the first time Blaine named his father, and Kurt had to bite his tongue to not ask more about it.

"I get it." He assured him, stroking Blaine's knuckles with his thumb. "But if that was what you had tonight, it means that it was caused by stress. And tonight... I don't know, it was practically perfect. Was it the meeting with Jamie? Something I said?"

The fact of asking you to never leave and that I wanted you in my bed for the rest of your life, perhaps? Kurt thought, but he didn't say it.

"Tonight was perfect...as I said, it was almost magical for me." Blaine said with awe, looking at their joined hands, "it's me. Things being perfect have never really worked out for me...I guess I let myself get afraid of losing it."

"Baby, something was wrong before we lay down to sleep. I knew it and I asked you, but you didn't tell me the truth and I didn't insist, and..." Kurt brought Blaine's hand to his lips to kiss it. "Don't hide things from me, please. I need to know if you're not doing okay."

"I did tell you it was a silly thing that I was worried about." Blaine said with a smile, "I didn't want to bring up the past, but it just got me last night, I guess, when I was tired...everything was so perfect and so beautiful that I got scared I was going to wake up and you weren't going to be there."

He laughed a little.

"Which is silly, because it's not like before..."

"Stop saying this is 'silly'. If you're worried, it's not silly. We have a relationship, Blaine. The physical part is fucking awesome, but we said right from the beginning that communication is basic, so don't downplay what happens in here." Kurt put his finger on Blaine's temple.

"I'm sorry." He said, and took Kurt's hand before he could pull it away, "I won't do it anymore. I promise to tell you all my thoughts, even if they're silly."

"They're not silly to me, okay? I'm interested in everything about you, baby. I want to know you, I want to know it all. You're the most important thing in my life." Kurt rested his head on Blaine's shoulder, sighing.

"You're my everything." Blaine whispered back.

Kurt hugged Blaine, holding him tight in his arms. 

"I'm not leaving. When you wake up in the morning, I'll probably be the one curled up next to you, unless I went to make you breakfast, or to pee." He giggled. "These are the only exceptions."

"Okay, that clears it up then." Blaine laughed with him and then yawned.

"We should get back to sleep, honey." Kurt pulled away and looked him in the eye. "Are you calmer now?" 

"Lots." Blaine moved to give Kurt a kiss, lingering for a minute and then standing and pulling him up. 

While Blaine went to the bathroom to freshen up a bit, Kurt settled under the covers, waiting for his boyfriend to join him. 

It wasn't the night he'd expected, not after the incredible sex and Blaine singing to him. Kurt wondered if he should have brought up the subject of the future. If that had worried Blaine to the point of having nightmares, he deserved to know. But it wasn't something he wanted to talk about in the middle of the night. Nate and Dylan were coming the next day, and Kurt was sure they'd all have a great time together. There would be plenty of time to talk about more complex issues later. 

Blaine came back from the bathroom and stared at Kurt from the doorframe. He seemed a bit embarrassed about what had happened, but before he could say anything, Kurt smiled at him and patted the mattress to gesture him to lie down with it. 

"Do you want to spoon?" Kurt said, raising an eyebrow. 

Blaine chuckled a bit, and slowly approached the bed. 

"Can I hold you this time?" He asked with a pout. 

When he felt the weight of Blaine on the bed, Kurt turned his back to him. 

"Of course you can, baby." He whispered as Blaine's arms wrapped tightly around him. 

He knew why Blaine had asked him to hold him. He knew that despite their conversation, a part of Blaine was still afraid that he would leave, and this way he had the security of feeling him in his arms. 

He turned off the light and felt Blaine's lips on the back of his neck, giving him little kisses. 

"We went back to bed to sleep, sir." He teased Blaine as he noticed his boyfriend's smile against his skin. 

Kurt tried to calm himself a bit, but after saying 'good night' to each other, neither of them fell asleep immediately. Blaine was too worried about having another nightmare, and Kurt was too scared about seeing the man he loved like that again.

******

Blaine was looking out of his apartment window. He and Kurt had just gotten there ten minutes ago, and Nate and Dylan must have been about to get there too.

However, Blaine wasn't waiting to see them appear. His mind was just recreating his dream from the night before, the way he had thought he saw Kurt walking down the street, away from him... 

"Hey, what are you doing there so thoughtful?" Kurt hugged him from behind, resting his chin on Blaine's shoulder.

"Nothing really, just recalling a bit of my dream last night." Blaine replied as he melted back against Kurt, "I woke up here, at my apartment...and I was looking for you. I came over to the window, and I saw you walking down the street...I was calling for you, but you didn't turn around."

Kurt felt his stomach flip over. He knew Blaine was still thinking about the dream, and to be honest, so was he. 

They had been fine, close to each other when they woke up in Kurt's bed and got ready to come wait for the guys, but still, something was wrong. Something intangible was flying over them and not letting them be totally themselves. 

Kurt placed his hands on Blaine's shoulders to make him turn around and face him. 

"Well, that was just a bad dream. This is reality." Kurt took Blaine's hands and put them on his face. "See? I'm here."

"I know you are." Blaine said with a smile, an honest and happy smile as he cupped Kurt's cheeks and leaned in to kiss his lips, "I know this is real, it just can't seem to stop my subconscious from bringing up different things."

There was the sound of a car horn outside as Kurt and Blaine were staring at each other.

Kurt chuckled briefly before leaning towards Blaine and kissing him again. 

"Last chance. We can pretend we're gone and make them turn around, and spend the weekend on our own. Your choice." He said, nuzzling Blaine's nose with a smile.

Blaine laughed loudly. 

"You're too kind-hearted to be that cruel to them." Blaine said as he kissed Kurt's nose and took his hand, "come on, let's go and get them." 

He pulled Kurt towards the door, his smile now more relaxed.

They waited leaning against the doorframe, and just a couple of minutes later, the elevator doors opened and Nate and Dylan appeared behind them. 

"Kurt!" Dylan yelled, and handed his bag rudely to Nate before throwing himself on top of Kurt, who greeted him with open arms and a smile. 

"Good to see you too, Dylan." Kurt laughed out loud.

"Yeah, I can carry all of this, no problem." Nate said from underneath the bags, and Blaine moved forward to help his best friend with a laugh. 

He took the bag from over his face, revealing Nate's smile, and then pulled him into his arms. 

"Good to see you, babe." Nate said as he pulled Blaine in tight.

When Dylan let go of Kurt, he turned to Blaine, who was still wrapped in Nate's arms. 

"Honey, I want a hug too." He protested, pretending to feel suddenly sidelined.

Blaine took the bags from Nate and put them down as Nate made slightly grabby hands as he walked towards Kurt. 

"Come here then, sweetheart." Nate said, and then stopped in front of Kurt with a smirk, "that sounded a little predatory, didn't it?" 

Blaine and Dylan both laughed at that, and Kurt gave Nate a huge smile before putting his arms around him. 

"I want you to know that I had to convince your best friend to open the door for you, guys. He was willing to ignore you as long as he and I were alone." He smirked at Blaine, who was being squeezed by Dylan.

Nate mock gasped at that and turned to Blaine with a hurt expression as Blaine sent a fake glare at Kurt. 

"What a little liar." He grinned at his boyfriend. 

"Blaine, you were going to make us wait outside all damn day for you? That hurts, short ass." Nate said with a smirk, and Blaine huffed as he crossed his arms.

"Wow, I don't recognize you anymore, Blaine. Good thing Kurt leads you on the right track." Dylan left Blaine and moved closer to Kurt, kissing his cheek affectionately. 

"Sorry, they deserved to know." Kurt stated, biting his lip to keep from laughing.

"Whatever." Blaine said with a mock glare, trying not to laugh as he moved past everyone and went into his apartment. 

Nate and Dylan laughed as they went to grab their bags, and then walked inside after Kurt did.

As Nate closed the door behind him and he and Dylan dropped their bags on the floor, Kurt ran after Blaine. 

"Baby, come here." He said, and Blaine turned around just in time for his boyfriend to throw his arms around his neck and kiss him. 

"My, my, these two are so touchy, I love it." Dylan joked, nudging Nate.

Nate grinned and then grabbed Dylan around the waist to kiss him too. Once he pulled back, he whispered to Dylan. 

"They aren't the only ones who can be all touchy."

Blaine moaned against Kurt's lips for a second and then pulled back with a smile.

Dylan licked his lips and looked at Blaine and Kurt, who seemed engrossed in their own world. 

"Hey, you two, pay attention to us or I'll take this cute guy into the bedroom, first warning." He exclaimed. 

Kurt and Blaine then turned to them. 

"They're right, we're being lousy hosts." Kurt's eyes widened as he said that. "You are. I mean, this is your apartment after all, I don't live here." 

Everyone was looking at him strangely, and Kurt shook his head with a nervous smile. 

"How was the trip, guys?" He asked then, scratching behind his ear.

Blaine furrowed his brow a little, but then shook off Kurt's comment and turned a smile to his friends. 

They were still looking between them before Nate stepped forward and interrupted Dylan's comment. 

"What-"

"Yeah, it was good. Traffic wasn't too bad. I just hope it's still good for the way back, so that we don't get home too late." He said with a small laugh.

Blaine gave Nate a knowing smile. His best friend was very tactful.

Kurt internally thanked Nate for cutting off that awkward moment. He needed to feel close to Blaine again, though, so he put his arm around his boyfriend's waist before speaking again.

"Glad to hear that. Blaine and I talked over breakfast that we don't know what your plans are, but we could watch a movie now and then Dylan and I could make something to eat... tacos, maybe?" He suggested with a smile on his face.

"Sure, honey, it will be a pleasure to cook with you." Dylan winked at him.

"Yeah, it sounds like a plan. It would be nice to relax after sitting in a car for 6 hours." Nate said as he stretched his back.

"Do you need help getting to the couch, old man?" Blaine teased his friend as his arm wrapped around Kurt's waist, his fingers squeezing his side a little.

"Very funny." Nate turned to him with a glare.

"Be nice." Kurt whispered in Blaine's ear, as he watched Nate and Dylan settle into the couch.

"I'm being nice." Blaine whispered back with a smirk.

Kurt stuck his tongue out at him and led him to the end of the couch that Nate and Dylan hadn't occupied.

Since Blaine's couch was a little small for the four of them, Kurt waited for Blaine to sit down and practically settled on his lap.

Dylan stared at them for a few seconds.

"Well, tell us. When did you have sex?" He asked with eyes full of curiosity.

Nate looked at them curiously as well. 

Blaine only smirked back at his friends and said nothing.

Kurt expected Blaine to answer, but he only saw pride shining on his boyfriend's face, so he had to hit him on the shoulder. 

"You're not even gonna try to conceal?" He asked, sounding more annoyed than he really was.

"Why would I conceal?" Blaine asked with a laugh, "it was the best night of my life so far."

Nate laughed lightly.

"Oh my goodness." Kurt buried his face in Blaine's neck when he felt the blush on his cheeks, although he couldn't help but give Blaine a couple of kisses under the ear taking advantage of the position. 

"Sweetheart, don't be embarrassed, it's something beautiful." Dylan assured him.

"Yeah, we're happy for you." Nate added as he leaned towards Dylan, resting against his side, "if it helps, we fucked this morning before we drove down."

"Oh yeah, it was pretty awesome." Dylan nodded with a big grin.

Kurt reached for the remote control with the intention of turning on the TV. 

"But you guys sure didn't do it after you ran into your ex in the middle of the street, just three days after seeing one of Blaine's one-night stands." Kurt said nonchalantly before Dylan took the remote control out of his hands. 

"Excuse me? That's better than any movie, we want to know everything." Dylan demanded, his jaw dropped at the new information.

Blaine had a very tight expression on his face, but he said nothing. Nate narrowed his gaze at him for a moment. 

"Maybe it's best that they forget about all of that." Nate said to Dylan with a smile, "I'm sure we have other things to talk about."

"It's okay." Kurt assured, stroking Blaine's curls with one of his hands. "They weren't two very pleasant moments, but I think we coped with them pretty well, didn't we?" He looked at Blaine, with a reassuring smile. 

The last thing Kurt wanted right now is for Blaine to get more doubtful.

"Yeah, you should have seen Kurt go all possessive, it was so hot." Blaine said as he gave Kurt a smile, leaning forward to press a kiss to Kurt's jaw.

"I'm sure he was." Nate grinned at them, "did you tear your ex a new one, Kurt?"

"I'm not possessive." Kurt tried to get serious, but a satisfied smile gave him away. "Maybe just a little." He pecked Blaine's lips before looking back at Nate. "I told Jamie everything I really wanted to say. Actually, he acted like an asshole, and a certain person almost hit him." 

"What? Blaine, do we have to call you Rocky Balboa now?" Dylan laughed, snuggling a little closer against Nate.

"Almost. I had him by the shirt." Blaine said proudly, "but what Kurt did to him was so much better."

"Well, I'm proud of you for not letting violence take over, even if the guy deserved it." Nate said.

Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck, pressing himself against him. For some reason, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to act like that in front of Nate and Dylan. 

"So am I." He smiled, losing himself for a moment in Blaine's eyes.

Blaine smiled back at Kurt, wrapping his own arms around Kurt's waist, pulling his chest closer to him. Their gazes locked and were soft and warm, and Blaine was just about to lean in to seal their lips together before there was a noise from their right.

"Awww." Nate cooed out loud as he and Dylan were just staring at the two lovebirds on the other end of the couch.

"Okay, enough of watching us. Dylan, choose a movie, please." Kurt demanded, though he didn't move an inch from Blaine. 

After some discussion with Nate, Dylan settled on a romantic movie that Kurt had already watched hundreds of times, but he didn't say a thing. 

As everyone else was focused on the movie, he just stared at Blaine, until his boyfriend caught him.

Blaine mouthed 'what?' at Kurt as a slow smile spread across his lips. He looked between Kurt's eyes and his mouth, and then back again.

Kurt shrugged and mouthed 'I love you' to him, because there was nothing truer for him at that time.

'I love you too', Blaine mouthed back with a smile that was much bigger. He looked towards Nate and Dylan, who were paying attention to the movie before turning back to Kurt.

'Kiss me', he mouthed again.

Kurt leaned in until his lips touched Blaine's. It started out as a chaste kiss, but as soon as he felt Blaine's tongue brushing his bottom lip, Kurt forgot even where he was and opened his mouth for Blaine.

Blaine had always been a third wheel when Nate and Dylan were around for the last few years, but now he had his own boyfriend and it was so much better. 

He lazily pushed his tongue along Kurt's, keeping the kiss slow because he didn't want to get too into it. He just needed to kiss him.

Nate looked over at them once before smiling to himself and pulling Dylan closer to his chest, watching the movie.

Kurt hummed softly against Blaine's lips, as their tongues met over and over again. He loved those kisses, the ones he knew would lead to nothing else but let him feel so connected to Blaine. 

Dylan looked their way for a second and giggled. 

"Did you ever imagine seeing Blaine like this?" He whispered to Nate.

"I'm glad he has someone of his own now." Nate whispered back, and then looked down at Dylan's face with a smile, "but baby, where's my kiss?"

"Right here." Dylan said before pressing his lips to Nate's. 

They were all like that until the movie ended, more interested in giving kisses and caresses to the person they loved the most than in looking at the screen. 

Dylan turned off the TV and looked at Blaine and Kurt, wiggling his eyebrows. 

"Did you like the movie, guys?" He asked with a smirk.

"Meh, I've seen better." Kurt replied, pursing his swollen lips.

"I wasn't even watching." Blaine admitted, and Nate laughed.

"Me neither."

Blaine and Nate high fived over Dylan's head.

"Maybe it's time to leave these two smug asses here and start cooking. What do you say, Dyl?" Kurt asked, still sitting on Blaine's lap.

"Yes, please, I'm starving." Dylan jumped off the couch and blew Nate a kiss before heading to the kitchen. 

Kurt looked at Blaine again.

"Are you hungry, baby?" He asked, his eyes actually fixed on Blaine's mouth.

"Hungry for something." Blaine said in a low voice.

Nate snorted on the other end of the couch, and Blaine aimed a kick his way.

"Ouch." Nate said as he rubbed his thigh.

"Kurt, I'm waiting for you, sweetie." Dylan yelled from the kitchen. 

"Duty calls." Kurt sighed and gave Blaine one last kiss before going to help his friend.

When Kurt walked into the kitchen, Dylan was already preparing the ingredients on the table.

"No offense, handsome, but my cooking skills go beyond making tacos. This could be done by even those two." Dylan pointed his head toward the door while laughing.

"You came here to be with us, not to spend all day in the kitchen." Kurt explained while washing his hands. "Besides, Blaine and I have a thing for Mexican food."

"I see. You two seem like you're in a happy little honeymoon bubble today." Dylan said with a smile.

"Yeah." Kurt focused on spicing up the meat. "He makes me so happy, Dylan, everything is perfect." He added, though his own smile faded a bit.

"Well...that smile doesn't say that everything is perfect." Dylan frowned at him, pushing the food away from Kurt so that he had to look at him. "What's up?"

"Blaine had a nightmare last night." Kurt blurted out before regretting it. He didn't know if he should talk about it with Dylan, even though Blaine had told him that he and Nate knew about the nightmares.

"Oh." Dylan said surprised, "did he say what it was about?"

"About losing me." Kurt's eyes were suddenly wet, and he had to hold back the tears. "We talked about it and I think he feels better now, but I don't know if there's anything else I should do, Dylan. I think... I think I said something that freaked him out."

Dylan looked over where Nate and Blaine were sitting in the living room, talking between them, and then pulled Kurt to the edge of the kitchen.

"Honey, I'm sure whatever you said didn't cause this nightmare." He said as he pulled Kurt into a hug.

Kurt hugged him back, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath for a moment. 

"Do you think you can know that you want to be with someone forever after being together for only a few weeks?" He asked when they pulled away.

"If it's your soulmate, of course." Dylan said with a smile, "it doesn't mean it's not going to be hard, though. Is that what you told him?"

"Something like that... twice." Kurt made a face as he blushed. "And I don't know, I think that somehow it woke up an irrational fear in him about me leaving."

Dylan thought about it for a minute.

"I don't think that would do that. Did he tell you what he thinks started the nightmare?"

"Not exactly." Kurt replied. "He talked about not deserving me, and about how everything seems perfect and that scares him. But I don't get it. Everything was fine, and then I made that comment and the atmosphere changed, so did his face, and a minute later, he was asking me if I would still be there in the morning."

"He's afraid." Dylan said with a knowing smile, "he's afraid he's not enough."

"But he's more than enough, Dyl." Kurt said with a desperate whine. "He's everything I've ever wanted, and I try to show him every day. If he has doubts... maybe I'm the one who's not enough." He grabbed onto the counter as his hands began to shake.

"No, it's not you." Dylan said with a sad smile, "it's Blaine. For someone who acts so confident, he doesn't have a lot of self-esteem."

"I love him so much." Kurt shook his head, like he couldn't believe Blaine didn't see it. "He's in the next room and I already miss him. When I talked about 'the rest of his life', I was serious; I can't imagine my life without him. I thought that... I thought I was going too fast."

"Let me show you something." 

Dylan held up both his hands. One hand was still and the other was shaking, and he gestured to the hand that was steady first. 

"This is you. You've been in a relationship before, you're open and honest...and steady. You know what relationships are like, you were in one for 3 years. You know what give and take is, you know how long to wait for things, and you know what is too fast and too slow."

He gestured to his other hand, the one that was shaking.

"This is Blaine. He's not open, not honest most of the time, and he has never been in love, has never had a connection with anyone. He's never had a boyfriend, he doesn't know anything about relationships. He's shaky, he's trying to figure it out as he goes...but he'll get there, eventually."

"But I also feel that this is all new to me! When I felt the bond, I could barely take my hands off Blaine. I said 'I love you' when we had been together less than two weeks, and I would have said it to him even earlier. Do I look like a steady person?" Kurt laughed, but there were nerves and fear in his laugh.

"I fell in love with Nate after 2 days...and we weren't even together then. I couldn't do anything about it, but the fact that you guys were together when you fell in love is testament to how you care about and respect each other." Dylan explained with a smile, "if Blaine had any doubts about your relationship, he wouldn't be all smiley and happy."

"I just want to make him as happy as he makes me, and let him know that I'm not going to leave him. God, how am I going to leave him? He's the love of my life." Kurt looked at Dylan with wide, bright eyes.

"You do make him happy, Kurt." Dylan gave him a sympathetic smile as he rubbed his arm, "that man in there looks at you like he just discovered light. You're his everything."

"Should I talk to him? About the future, about what I want. I don't know if it's a good idea, I don't want to worry or scare him. You didn't hear him last night, Dyl, those screams... he was terrified. I don't want to see him like that again and think that it's my fault." Kurt sighed and looked at Dylan, hoping he had the solution to all his problems.

"Yeah, you should talk to him about everything you want. As I said, I don't think it would scare him. Blaine's in this for good, too." Dylan responded, "I've been around for those nightmares before, they aren't nice. Can I give you a little advice, though?"

"Yes, please." Kurt almost begged him.

"If you think he's holding something back, don't drop it. Blaine needs a little push sometimes to be honest." Dylan gave him a knowing smile while patting him affectionately on the shoulder.

"Okay." Kurt nodded, thinking about it. "Thank you so much."

"I'm around this weekend to kick his ass for you too." Dylan said with a smirk.

"Thanks, but his ass is all mine, even for kicking it." Kurt chuckled as he hugged Dylan again, and suddenly he seemed much more relaxed. "And now, let's get on with this. These tacos aren't going to prepare themselves."

They smiled at each other and got to work.

******

Blaine watched Kurt walk into the kitchen with a fond look as Nate was looking at Blaine's face intently. There was something going on, that much he could see in Blaine, and he knew that without a little shove Blaine wouldn't tell him what was wrong. 

"Hey, I know you and Kurt are all over each other and that, but... are you okay? That comment about the apartment and being hosts was really weird." He asked, looking at Blaine curiously. 

Blaine nodded. That comment from Kurt had confused the hell out of him too. 

"We're okay, but something happened last night. And I don't really know how to explain it." 

"Blaine, I've held you while you threw up more than once, I've seen you naked on numerous occasions, I've looked after you when you were sick, I've been your stand-in date at parties, and I've held you together while you fell apart. I think you can tell me just about anything." Nate nudged him lightly, trying to make him relax. He knew Blaine had a hard time talking sometimes. 

Blaine laughed lightly. It was true, Nate had been there as a constant presence for years. He took a deep breath and looked at his best friend. 

"Kurt tried to make a joke with me last night, after we had sex, about not letting me leave his bed, and I...I said that it wouldn't be bad if I was there forever." Blaine told him, "I don't know if it scared him or something, but he changed the subject pretty fast after that. And I had a nightmare." He added quietly. 

"Oh, babe..." Nate put his arm around Blaine's shoulders, pulling him closer. "Did you dream about that guy again?" 

"It wasn't anything like that...I was alone, Kurt wasn't there and I was looking for him, I think." Blaine explained, "Kurt heard me, though, and we talked, but I don't think he believed me when I told him it was about the past." 

"Well, I don't know him as well as you do, but I think Kurt is a smart guy, so he probably didn't believe you. I wouldn't say he looks scared either, though." Nate explained, looking at his friend's concerned frown. 

"Am I moving too fast by wanting to have a future with him? Like living together, marriage, babies…?" Blaine blurted out, barely able to contain his emotions as he revealed his plans. 

Nate was taken aback by this. Blaine had never talked about future plans before, other than his job. He had never told him that he wanted kids or a husband, or a big house with a yard and a dog. But now...because of his soulmate, because Kurt was the love of his life, Blaine wanted all those things. 

Nate sighed. 

"Wow, that's a lot. It'll probably seem fast to some people, but each couple has their own rhythm. And you and I know that when it comes to soulmates, everything gets more intense." Nate smiled at him. "Have you talked to Kurt about this?" 

"No. Maybe he'll think it's too fast. I'm just avoiding getting rejected." Blaine frowned as he leaned against his friend for comfort, since Kurt was too far away. 

"I think Kurt's doubts at the very beginning, before you were together, still hurt you." Nate rubbed his shoulder. "You came to think that you would never be with him, and now that you have him, you fear losing him." 

Blaine nodded; it did make sense. He had never been committed to anyone, and the intensity in that meant that his mind worked overtime. He wanted Kurt to be with him for always. 

"But the guy who is in the kitchen with my soulmate would do anything for you. When you speak, he stares at you as if you were the most precious thing in the world." Nate continued with a smile, as he used his hand to fiddle with the collar of Blaine's t-shirt.

"He's my everything, Nate. I love him so much, and I'm just terrified that he'll think I'm pushing us too fast. I don't know how to do this relationship stuff." He placed his head in his hands. 

"Hey, do you think anyone really knows how this works? We all have the theory in our heads, and then someone looks at you and steals your heart forever, and you forget about everything else." Nate said, thinking about his life with Dylan. "You know that I'm not romantic and that I always try to think rationally. I don't want you to rush and get hurt from this, but I know you. If you don't talk to him, you're going to keep it inside and make such a big deal out of this until it kills your self-confidence. I know you're scared, Blainey, but living with doubt is even worse. I'm not telling you to propose to Kurt, but sit down with him and find out what he wants." 

"You're right...you're so right. There's no point in keeping this to myself. Kurt and I, we promised to be honest." Blaine nodded, "you know, you're the best friend a guy could ever ask for." 

"Oh, I know." Nate laughed and turned his face to place a kiss on top of Blaine's head. "And you know what I also know? That no one deserves to be happy more than you."

Blaine smiled widely. 

"Thanks." 

"You're welcome." Nate replied with a smile before letting go of Blaine, who decided that he had had enough time away from his soulmate and got up to walk into the kitchen. 

He found Kurt talking and laughing with Dylan as they were just finishing up with late lunch. Dylan saw him, but Blaine gestured for him not to tell Kurt he was behind him. He walked up slowly and then quickly wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist, making his boyfriend jump and gasp out loud. 

"Shit, you scared the crap out of me!" Kurt exclaimed with a giggle and then smacked Blaine's head lightly over his shoulder, and Blaine just laughed. 

"Sorry, but I missed you." He said as he gave Kurt's shoulder a kiss through the material of his shirt.

"I missed you too." Kurt turned around, but before Blaine could lean in to kiss him, he held up a fork with a bit of one of the taco filling options they were preparing. "Tell me what you think." 

Blaine popped the bite into his mouth and let out a little noise. 

"It's delicious." He said sincerely. 

"See? I told you it wasn't too spicy." Kurt told Dylan before turning back to Blaine and giving him the kiss that he had been looking for. "Thanks, baby." 

"Honey, Kurt argued with me about the recipe." Dylan pouted at Nate, who had just entered the kitchen, before he wrapped his arms around him. 

"You'll survive." Nate told him before kissing him on the cheek. "And now, tell us how we can help, because I'm starving and Bee can't stay away from Kurt." 

For the next hour, Blaine's kitchen only heard excited voices, laughter and ocassional kisses.

******

They decided they should all do something fun together that night. Since they were two couples now, Dylan suggested that they all could go out dancing and drinking. Having fun like actual adults do. 

So after lunch was done, Blaine grabbed some clothes to take back to Kurt's and get ready there, giving Nate and Dylan some privacy to get ready in Blaine's place. 

It was nearing 3pm when they got back to Kurt's apartment. They had made plans to meet up at just after 5:30, so that they could go out for dinner and then swing along to a club that Kurt knew of. It was a little bit difficult for Kurt and Blaine to get ready in the same apartment, though, since they just wanted to grab and tease each other while they were both walking around topless. 

Blaine had a pair of tight red jeans on and a black polo shirt that hugged his body, showing off his biceps and chest muscles that had Kurt almost drooling. 

Kurt himself had decided on a purple shimmering material button up shirt with a black vest underneath it, so that he left the shirt half unbuttoned. He usually didn't like wearing white pants, but for the first time in a long while, he donned a pair of very tight white skinny jeans for the night. 

He knew the look was killer when he spied Blaine biting his lip while staring at his ass in the mirror. He grinned to himself as he did his hair, a messier look than usual. Blaine let his curls go free, flowing over the top of his head with only a little mousse taming them. 

At 5:20, they both took Blaine's car back to his apartment to meet Dylan and Nate, and Kurt whistled as he saw them two. He had never seen the guys in such sexy clothes before, and they looked great.

Dylan was wearing black skinny pants that fitted his legs perfectly and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up. The touch of color was given by a striking red belt. 

Nate, for his part, wore gray jeans and a thin light blue shirt to match his eyes, and he seemed to have deliberately forgotten to do the first few buttons. 

"You guys look amazing." Kurt said. 

"You two don't look bad either." Dylan replied with a smirk. "I bet it took you a lot of effort not to tear off your clothes as you were putting them on."

Blaine laughed and gestured to Kurt's ass, before fanning himself. But when Kurt turned, Blaine had an innocent look on his face. 

Nate laughed at them both before he moved everyone along. 

"Let's go party, people."

They had dinner at a fast food place, despite Kurt and Dylan's complaints, who claimed that that wasn't real food, but the truth is that they weren't really hungry and everyone was eager about what was coming next. 

They arrived at the club shortly before 7.30pm, and after queuing for a few minutes, they entered the place. 

The club was huge and the music was blaring. Most of the people were dancing on the floor, except for a few who seemed to be trying to have a conversation in a chill out area with tables and couches, and those at the barstool. 

Kurt, holding hands with Blaine, turned to the other couple. 

"What do you think if we go to the bar and have a round of shots? On me." He said with an excited smile.

"By all means, buy us shots, babe." Nate said loudly, flashing Kurt a grin, as Dylan hung off of his boyfriend's arm. 

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand and led everyone over to the bar, where they made a space between people that could fit all four of them.

"Okay, if we want to do things right, I think we should go with tequila." Kurt told them.

Nate and Dylan nodded immediately, and Kurt then looked at Blaine with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

"What about you? Do you remember the last time we had tequila? Last and only, until now."

"Oh, I remember." Blaine smirked at him, and then slapped his ass gently. "Maybe tequila can help us again tonight." 

Nate and Dylan exchanged a grin.

Kurt chuckled and gave Blaine a quick kiss before calling the bartender and asking for four shots of tequila. 

"I remind you of the rules." Kurt explained solemnly as soon as the drinks were in front of them. "First we lick the salt, then we drink and finally we take the lemon. Any questions?"

Everyone else shook their heads and had big grins as they all set out the salt on their hands and had the shots ready. 

"Okay, ready, guys? 3, 2, 1, go!" Blaine said loudly, and they all licked their hands and knocked back the liquid into their mouths, before pushing lemon slices between their lips. 

Nate and Dylan pushed lemon slices into each other's mouths though, which ended up getting lemon juice all over their faces.

"The attempt was adorable, guys." Kurt laughed as he put his arm around Blaine's waist. 

"Another one?" Dylan asked, hopping around. "I'll pay this time." 

Kurt looked at Blaine, making sure he agreed, and he did.

After all downing another shot, Dylan grabbed Nate's hand and pulled him into the sea of people on the dance floor. Blaine just smirked at Kurt as he leaned against the bar.

"Won't you ask me to dance?" Kurt said, blinking flirtatiously.

"Why do I have to ask? You're a man too, baby." Blaine blinked back, "maybe you should ask me to dance?"

Kurt held back a smile and slowly approached Blaine. If his boyfriend wanted to play, he would play. 

"Excuse me, sir. I couldn't help noticing that you're the most attractive man in this place. Would you be so kind as to grant me a dance?" And then he smirked. "These pants make me a great ass and it would be a shame to have to move it on my own."

"Those pants really do show off your great ass, but are you sure you want to waste your dancing time on me?" Blaine teased with a charming grin.

Kurt closed the little distance between them and placed his hands on Blaine's wrists, reaching up to caress his forearms before leaning his arms on his shoulders. 

"You're the only person I want to dance with." He turned his head slightly and opened his mouth in amazement. "Well, and Nate, who seems to be having the time of his life."

Blaine followed his gaze and looked at Nate and Dylan, who were dancing together. Nate was a very good dancer, Blaine had been surprised back in college about it. 

"He's always been the best dancer out of all of us." Blaine said as he wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist, "but before he steals you away for a dance, me first, right?"

"You first." Kurt told him as he started walking towards the dance floor, Blaine clinging to his waist. 

They stood next to Dylan and Nate, who despite being focused on each other, smiled at them when they got there. 

"We already thought Kurt didn't dance." Dylan yelled to be heard over the music. 

"I've never danced in bars or clubs. I was the one holding my friends' bags as I leaned on the bar. But dancing with Blaine has its charm." Kurt replied as he placed his hands on the back of Blaine's neck and began to wiggle.

Blaine pulled Kurt closer, wrapping his arms around his waist tightly. He smiled as they started moving their hips together, the beat of the music running over them. 

Nate and Dylan were kissing while dancing next to them, and Kurt smiled over at them before resting his chin on his arm over Blaine's shoulder.

When Blaine pulled away a bit to look into Kurt's eyes, he let him go and spun around a few times in front of Blaine, before hanging again on to his neck as he laughed.

Blaine chuckled as he pulled him back in to his chest, before turning them around on the floor. Kurt could hear Dylan giggling from behind them, and Blaine looked over Kurt's shoulder with a smile. 

"Looks like somebody else wants to dance with you." He said by Kurt's ear, and then turned him around. 

Nate was holding out a hand for Kurt with a grin.

"Oh, what an honor. I don't know if I'll be up to the task." Kurt exclaimed, but immediately grabbed Nate's hand and leaned closer to him. 

"You're gonna have to settle for me, darling." Dylan smirked, approaching Blaine with feigned lust.

"My lucky night." Blaine said in a low flirty tone as well as he gripped Dylan's waist, and then gave a wink back at Kurt before dancing with his friend. 

Nate chuckled next to Kurt's ear, before pulling him into his arms a little more and moving Kurt with him.

"No offense, but I would have never expected you to dance like this." Kurt said, and laughed when Nate caught him by the waist and lifted him into the air.

"I'm full of surprises." He said while he spun Kurt back around and then put him back on his feet. 

As Kurt laughed and clung to Nate's shoulders, he began to move against him as the music switched to a more intimate sounding tune.

Dylan caught Blaine's gaze and rolled his eyes. 

"Do I have to get naked for you to listen to me?" 

When Blaine looked at him in surprise, as if he hadn't been aware that his eyes were fixed on Kurt, Dylan giggled. 

"Easy, he's with Nate, nobody's going to take him away from you."

"I wasn't worried about that. I'm sure you wouldn't let Nate dance with anyone else if there was a chance he would wander off." Blaine laughed as he pushed Dylan out, and then pulled him back in again, "I was just distracted by Kurt's ass in those jeans."

"It distracts me as well." Blaine stared at him in surprise, but Dylan just shrugged before putting his hands on Blaine's waist. "I'm gonna propose to your best friend, but I still have eyes." 

Nate and Kurt approached them as they kept moving softly to the music. 

"What are you two whispering about?" Kurt asked.

"Oh, nothing, baby." Blaine said to Kurt with a small smirk, "but I have competition for your affection. I think both these guys want to take you away from me." 

Nate pulled Kurt closer and, sticking his tongue out at Blaine, he chuckled. 

"Yeah, Kurt's hot." He said, making Kurt blush and gasp as Dylan nodded in agreement, but then Nate looked at his own soulmate, "but my sweetheart is my one true love and the hottest piece of ass ever." 

Blaine rolled his eyes and pushed Dylan towards Nate, and grabbed Kurt's hand to pull him away from them both.

"You look familiar. Didn't we dance before?" Kurt pressed his chest to Blaine's and nuzzled his cheek. 

Next to them, Nate grabbed Dylan around the waist and pulled him back to kiss him passionately.

Blaine smiled as he pulled Kurt closer again. 

"I think we did, before you were dragged away from me." Blaine laughed as Kurt rolled his eyes, before pulling him into a kiss as well. 

They all danced together for the next couple of hours, until they were laughing too much to continue and Nate began yawning, so they decided to leave. 

Blaine and Kurt walked both Nate and Dylan back to Blaine's apartment first. After they said 'goodnight' with hugs and kisses to cheeks, they turned to go and get into Blaine's car to head back to Kurt's place. Having danced off the two shots they all had had, it was okay to drive. 

Just as they were getting into Blaine's car, Dylan shouted out at them happily. 

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do, and that's not a lot!" 

Blaine and Kurt both burst out with laughter as Nate dragged him into the building before Blaine started the car and drove away.

Blaine was still chuckling at what Dylan had shouted at them as they got to Kurt's apartment. He tapered off his giggles as Kurt opened the door with his own smile and led them inside. 

Once Blaine closed the door behind them, Kurt told him that he was going to have a shower and get ready for bed, but Blaine reached out to grip his hand gently before he could.

As Kurt turned a confused look at him, he smiled a little nervously.

"I was hoping that we could talk. I don't think either of us has said all we had to say." He said with warm eyes, the affection shining through to show Kurt it would be a good talk.

Suddenly Kurt tensed a bit. It had been a great day, and he didn't want to screw things up again like he felt he had done the day before. 

But something on the look of Blaine's face made him nod his head. 

"Okay, yeah, let's talk." 

Still with Blaine's hand gripping his, Kurt led them to the couch. They just dropped on it, next to each other. 

"Our couch talks are becoming a classic." Kurt said to keep the vibe light. 

"Our couch talks are classic, yeah, but necessary." Blaine chuckled at that, "I just wanted to go over some of the things we said yesterday. I don't think I made myself very clear."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that too, so I appreciate you bringing it up." Kurt bit his lip, looking a little nervous.

"Okay, so we both have to clear the air here before it chokes us." Blaine said with slight anxiety picking up, and he ran a nervous hand through his hair, "last night was perfect. I've never ever felt a connection so deep before, and I love you so much, but…if I made you uncomfortable by telling you I wouldn't mind being in your bed forever, I'm sorry." He added quickly, "being in love is making me want things, and maybe I shouldn't be thinking about them all yet, but I can't help it. It might be very fast, I wouldn't really know, but my whole soul wants to be with you forever. I've thought about us living together, and getting married and everything..."

He stopped as his throat closed up at the lump of emotion in it, and he took in a massive gulp of air as he waited for Kurt's response with closed eyes.

Kurt couldn't react. Had Blaine just said that he had thought of them living together and getting married? But he thought that... 

He shook his head. He was so confused and needed answers, but above all, he felt relieved. 

"Baby, can you open your eyes, please?" Kurt asked softly as he cupped Blaine's cheek with his hand.

Blaine slowly opened his eyes and looked at Kurt. His eyes were a little guarded, waiting for rejection.

Kurt took a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts before speaking. 

"Your face changed. You were so happy and when I told you about spending the rest of your life in my bed, your smile... I thought that between that and my moment of vulnerability while we were making love I had overwhelmed you and that was why you had had the nightmare." He explained with confused eyes.

"No, I was just shocked at what you said, and took it more seriously than you meant it. Sorry if my serious face confused you, baby." Blaine said with a smile, before dropping it into a serious thinking face, "this face?"

Kurt laughed, taking Blaine's hand in his. He had never needed someone's contact as much as his boyfriend's. 

"Yeah, that face. I feel really stupid right now. Baby, I changed the subject because I didn't want to scare you. When my parents were here, my dad said that maybe I was going too fast with this, and I think I panicked. But I want all that." He looked at Blaine with bright eyes. "I want all that with you."

"I want it all too. I spoke to Nate and he said that what I was thinking about was a lot, so when you dropped the subject, I thought that I had scared you somehow." Blaine gave him a smile, "and I already told you that my nightmare is from what happened before, after we had sex the first time. I felt my connection then, so I was hurt when you weren't there. I just got so vulnerable last night after we made love that I had a nasty shot of fear at it happening again."

"Are you sure it's just that?" Kurt asked. 

His need to jump with happiness had to wait a bit, he wanted to make sure first that his boyfriend wasn't keeping anything inside. 

"You said you thought you didn't really deserve me, and Dylan told me that behind your supposed confidence was someone with low self-esteem." 

He moved closer to Blaine, until one of his hands was placed on the back of Blaine's neck. 

"Blaine, you're more than enough for me. You're the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last thing that crosses my mind before I close my eyes." Kurt wiped away a tear that was somehow rolling down his own cheek. "Don't think you don't deserve to be happy, please, because I love you more than anything and I need you to know that. I'm not going to leave you." 

Blaine stared at Kurt's eyes for a long moment. A small soft smile appeared as water built in his eyes too. He let out a watery laugh.

"Dyl's right. I act confident when I need to be, but the truth is...I need people to like me, to love me...so I'm not alone." The tears started spilling over, running down his cheeks, but he didn't wipe them away, "I've kind of always been this way, I guess."

Just like he had done after his nightmare, Kurt quickly wiped Blaine's tears away with his thumbs, but this time he didn't stop looking at him for a second. Kisses would come later. 

"I love you. I don't care if you don't believe it or if you think you don't deserve my love, because I'm gonna give it to you anyway, okay? With me, you don't have to pretend." 

Kurt sighed, holding back his own tears. 

"And I shouldn't hide behind a joke when I want to say something important. I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted you to stay in my bed for the rest of your life. It's what I want. I'm not afraid."

"But I am." Blaine choked a little on a sob that came out of nowhere, "I'm terrified...I'm so in love with you...so in love that I'm worried. I've never had a boyfriend before, and if I fuck it up, I'm going to lose everything."

"That's not gonna happen because we're gonna do things right. We're not gonna rush, okay? As much as we want to go crazy, we're gonna enjoy this, because it's unique, it's only ours." 

Kurt leaned in to kiss Blaine, his lips salty and wet with tears. 

"We already know that we both want the same thing, we want the whole package together. But for now, we have to wait. I'm not going to kidnap you yet so you don't get out of here." He laughed, but then he thought of something, and got up quickly from the couch and went to get something from his bedroom. 

He came back a minute later and sat down next to Blaine, who seemed calmer but was looking at him with a frown. 

"Here." He said, taking Blaine's hand and putting a key in it.

"A key?" Blaine asked as he wiped the wetness off his face, "for what?"

"It's the key to my heart." 

Kurt giggled when he saw Blaine's confused face. 

"Did you see how cheesy you make me be?" He shook his head, not wanting to be distracted from what he wanted to say to Blaine. "It's the key to my apartment. I gave it to Jamie a year ago and I did it for the wrong reasons. I didn't want him to feel at home here, I just thought it was the right thing to do, one more step in our relationship. It took me two years to do it and it didn't mean anything. But after a few weeks, I give it to you. You don't have to use it if you don't want to, although I'd be happy if you did, but I want it to be a promise. A promise that this will be your home one day, or the place I lived before moving in with you, I don't know. The thing is, this is a promise. This is me completely trusting you and our story."

Blaine stared at the key for a few seconds before looking back up at Kurt.

"But what if you're busy, or need your privacy?" He asked thoroughly, innocently confused at what it meant.

He knew that exchanging keys was a big step in a relationship, even if he had never done it. But he didn't want to invade his boyfriend's alone time.

"A few days ago, you told me that I would always be part of your plans. Well, you're always part of mine. If I'm busy, you can come and watch TV for a while until I'm free. And if I need my privacy, I'll tell you 'baby, I need to do this' and you'll understand. But I'm always gonna want to see you or be with you. And that's why I want you to have this." 

Kurt saw Blaine's doubts all over his face, and stroked the hand that held the key.

"Anyway, if this is too much for you, you can say 'no', it's okay."

Thinking that Kurt might take the key back, Blaine closed his fingers around it quickly. A key to Kurt's place. He could come in whenever he wanted...or when Kurt allowed him to. 

He could feel warmth spreading in his chest as a couple more tears leaked from his eyes.

His gaze flicked to Kurt's face, noting the worry there. His concern made him smile, a big happy sunny smile. He could feel his damp cheeks stretching.

"I love you so much." He said with a happy laugh, "but you know I'm going to be here most of the time now, don't you?"

Kurt breathed a sigh of relief, giving Blaine a smile just as big and bright as his own. 

"I think I can take it." He chuckled. "I love you so much too."

"I would give you my spare key, but Nate and Dyl are using it this weekend." Blaine said with a grin, "but if you can wait until tomorrow night, you can have it."

"Baby, you don't have to do that." Kurt was quick to assure him. "I didn't give you this to get anything in return, just because I wanted to."

Blaine smiled and hugged Kurt close, breathing in his scent and then kissing the side of his neck lightly. He closed his eyes as he pulled away, and then opened them as he stared at Kurt. His eyes were shining now, not from sadness, or guilt, or shame, but from happiness, and for a second it stole Kurt's breath from him. 

"My apartment can be your safe space to come when you want to as well. This relationship goes both ways, remember that." He told him, watching those blue eyes he loved so much widen.

"Are you completely sure?" Kurt asked, swallowing the lump of emotion that had built up in his throat. "If you give me that key, I intend to use it. You know I love your apartment."

"I'm 100 percent sure. I want you to use my key."

Kurt threw himself on top of Blaine, kissing his lips with all the love he felt inside. 

When he pulled away, a watery smile split his face in two. 

"No matter what other people think. We're not going too fast, things are exactly the way they have to be. I feel it in here." He put a hand to his chest. "And if at any point one of us want to change the pace, we'll talk about it. But this... this is forever."

Blaine grinned and nuzzled their noses together. 

"Forever."


	31. Chapter 31

"Fuck...baby...harder!" 

"Blaine...you feel so good, honey." 

Moans and gasps were what was heard on that late Sunday morning in Kurt's bedroom, as Kurt made love to Blaine while they were still warm from sleep and relaxed. 

15 minutes earlier, Kurt had awoken to a tickling sensation on his stomach, and when his eyes opened and looked down, he realized it was Blaine's dark curls that were all messy and tickling his skin as Blaine was licking a line down his abdomen. 

When Blaine made contact with Kurt's erection, it didn't last more than 5 seconds before Kurt rolled them over and crawled down to meet Blaine's lips while grabbing the lube from his nightstand. 

He still held Blaine's knees in his hands, thrusting slow but hard into Blaine, and his boyfriend underneath him was writhing and panting at the sensations. 

"Kurt...ah!" Blaine yelled out as he placed both hands on Kurt's chest above him, his fingers digging into Kurt's chest muscles a little, "I'm gonna come..." 

"Do it, baby, come for me." Kurt said with a burst of excitement and lust. He loved watching his boyfriend falling apart at his doing. 

Blaine threw his head back, giving Kurt a clear view of his straining neck and the Adam’s apple that was bobbing as he gasped and groaned. Kurt felt a splash against his stomach and grinned as he thrust a little harder now that his boyfriend had finished. 

He chased his own orgasm. The spasms Blaine's body made around him were phenomenal, and he lost his mind completely after another three thrusts inside him. He groaned loudly as he came, and then dropped his head into the side of Blaine's sweaty neck. 

As he gasped in laboured breaths, he felt the pulse in Blaine's neck against his lips, and had to place light sucking kisses on it before pulling back. Blaine smiled widely as he stared down at him, his hands coming up and burying themselves in Kurt's hair. 

"I love you." Blaine breathed out with a smile, and Kurt placed a sweet kiss against his still open mouth. 

"I love you too." 

They spent the rest of their lazy Sunday morning in bed, just touching each other and exchanging loving words and sweet kisses, until Kurt claimed that they both needed a shower and some food before they had brunch with Nate and Dylan. 

Blaine reluctantly agreed and let Kurt drag him through his bedroom and to the bathroom, where they shared a shower, full of affection and washing each other's hair again. 

Once Kurt had made them both some eggs and toast with a cup of coffee each, they sat together just silently comfortable while they ate. 

Blaine sighed as he finished his breakfast, and then leaned against Kurt's side as his boyfriend laughed lightly at him. 

"What's with you?" 

"I just didn't know Sundays could be this spectacular." Blaine said with a shrug and another sigh of happiness. 

"Sunday sex beats everything else, huh?" Kurt asked with a small grin. 

"Sundays with you." 

Kurt felt his cheeks flush a little at the affection in Blaine's words.

"You can be so cute when you want to, you know that?" Kurt cupped Blaine's face with his hand and turned him until he had his mouth in front of him so he could kiss him, delighting in the contact, letting his lips slide between Blaine's. 

A few seconds later, he pulled away with a sigh. 

"We have to go to your place, the guys are waiting for us."

Blaine grinned a little and pulled Kurt back to him. 

"Oh, they can wait for like 10 more minutes." He said as he claimed Kurt's lips again, forcing his tongue into Kurt's mouth when his boyfriend laughed a little.

Kurt lightly tugged on Blaine's shirt to pull him towards him as his other hand gripped his boyfriend's shoulder firmly. 

"It's very uncomfortable... making out... in the kitchen chairs." He gasped against Blaine's lips.

Blaine gripped Kurt's waist and pulled him out of his chair, making Kurt straddle his lap, and placed his hands underneath Kurt's ass to keep him there. 

"Better?" He asked with a smirk.

"Much better." Kurt grinned before pressing his mouth to Blaine's again. 

The kiss didn't last long, because Kurt quickly moved his lips to Blaine's jaw, where he spent some time until he began to travel down Blaine's neck with his tongue.

Blaine gasped as one hand left Kurt's ass and went to grab the back of his head, keeping him there against his neck. His other hand squeezed his ass lightly. 

"Ugh...as I said, Sundays are amazing..." Blaine whispered as he tilted his head to the side a little more.

Kurt chuckled against Blaine's neck, and unable to contain himself, he grinded down until his crotch rubbed against Blaine's. 

"Jeez... if we don't stop now, we're gonna have to shower again." He grumbled, but his lips were still giving all kinds of ministrations along the skin at his disposal.

"Yeah...let's just forget about Nate and Dylan. I'm sure they can work out something to do today without us...let's just go back to bed." Blaine mumbled out as he pushed his hips up against his boyfriend, moving both his hands back down to squeeze Kurt's ass.

Kurt had to use all his restraint to pull away from Blaine and stand up, looking for a bit of space to cool down. 

"As much as I like the plan, they're your friends and they travelled all this way to see us." He said, his breathing still labored as he cleared away their empty plates to have something to do with his hands, which were still itching to touch his boyfriend. "We can come back to this later, but for now, you should get your things, baby."

Kurt retraced his steps and gave Blaine one more kiss, quick and rough, before heading into the living room. Blaine pouted as he watched Kurt walk away. 

"You can't do this to me." He whined with a small teasing grin, "now I have to sit around them all day, while all I'll be thinking about is being naked with you."

"Later, I promise. I'll try to make the wait worthwhile." Kurt winked at him and went into the bathroom, where he splashed cold water on his face, hoping that the cool sensation would somehow reach the bulge in his pants, while he checked that his hair was fine.

Blaine walked into the bathroom after him and smirked as he watched Kurt fiddle with his hair. He came up to the sink and splashed water on his own face, wiping it off on a towel and giving Kurt a smile before walking back into the bedroom.

When Kurt met him in the bedroom, he saw Blaine putting the sweater he had given him on Friday night in his bag. 

"I knew you weren't gonna want to leave that one here." He laughed, though he couldn't help but feel touched.

Blaine laughed as he looked up. 

"No, I told you, you're not getting this back until it loses your scent; then I'll give it back to you so you can wear it again." Blaine told him with his eyes shining, "also...would it be okay to leave some of my underwear and t-shirts here?"

Kurt bit his lip, but that didn't stop a huge smile from appearing on his face. 

"Of course. You can leave whatever you want." He approached Blaine with outstretched hands, gesturing for the clothes.

"Are you really alright to touch these dirty clothes of mine?" Blaine laughed as he handed the clothes out to Kurt, two pairs of underwear and two t-shirts, "and maybe...wash them for me?"

"I've touched every part of you that has been in contact with these clothes, I think I can do it." Kurt smirked at him before putting one of the t-shirts, a soft black one, on his bed and taking the rest of Blaine's clothes to the bathroom, putting them in his laundry basket with his own clothes.

When he walked back into the bedroom, Blaine watched him grab the black t-shirt he had left on the bed and fold it neatly before putting it in one of the closet drawers, between his own clothes.

"I'll empty a drawer for you later and you'll have your clothes neat and perfectly placed inside the next time you stay." He explained.

Blaine stared at Kurt in awe for a few seconds, and then giggled a little. 

"I get my own drawer? Maybe I should empty one for you at my place too."

"Sure, if you want to." Kurt moved closer to him until he wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck. "But that's not gonna make you get your black t-shirt back, it's mine now."

"You're stealing my t-shirt? That cost me..." Blaine pretended to be offended, like it was an expensive t-shirt, and as Kurt only grinned at him with a raised eyebrow, he pouted, "4 dollars."

Kurt couldn't help the laugh that burst out of him.

"Even if it had cost you 50 cents from a thrift store, I'd steal it anyway. It smells like you, and if you have my sweater, I have your t-shirt, it's only fair." Kurt nuzzled his nose with Blaine's.

"Okay. Now we'd better get going, got to take my stuff home." Blaine said as he squeezed Kurt's waist and pecked his lips with a smile before picking up his bag, "and spend time with the guys before they leave." 

He gave Kurt a big grin as he moved backwards towards the door. 

"Are you ready?"

"I'm ready." Kurt replied, taking Blaine's hand with a smile. "Let's have some fun."

They arrived at Blaine's apartment only 5 minutes later than the agreed time, and it surprised them not to see the guys ready in the living room. Then they heard hurried footsteps down the hall and Dylan appeared in front of them, disheveled and with Blaine's sheet around his waist. 

"Sorry we're late... I know, I know." Dylan apologized with a chuckle. "Can you wait for a little bit? You're the best, guys, I love you." He added before disappearing back into the bedroom. 

"I can't believe I gave up making love to you on the kitchen table for this. Oh, and remind me to burn those sheets." Blaine growled as Kurt hugged him to laugh against his shoulder. 

Despite the delay, the brunch was great. They spent some time laughing and talking about how much fun they had had the night before. None of them would ever forget Nate's dance steps or Kurt's tight pants. 

Back at Blaine's place, Nate took advantage of the fact that Dylan was telling Kurt something to get closer to Blaine. 

"It's obvious that you two have sorted things out. Did you talk about everything like I told you to?" Nate asked quietly, so the other two guys wouldn't listen to him.

"Yeah." Blaine sighed in relief, "we discussed a lot of things last night, and we decided that we aren't going to listen to anyone else for the speed of our relationship; it's only us that it concerns." 

Blaine had such a relieved and affectionate smile on his face that Nate smiled too and nodded along with his explanation. 

After a minute, Blaine turned to him with a glare. 

"You owe me 20 bucks for new sheets, though. I don't think there's any amount of washing that can clean those now."

Nate laughed, but before he could answer, Dylan got into the chatting. 

"That laugh is music to my ears. What's so funny, baby?" He asked excitedly as he circled Nate's waist from behind. 

Immediately, Blaine looked around for Kurt, and almost breathed in relief when he saw his boyfriend reach up to him and grab onto his arm.

"We owe Blaine some new sheets. Being in New York has changed him; he won't share sheets with us anymore." Nate told his soulmate with a pout, and Blaine glared at them both before Kurt kissed his cheek to calm him down. 

"20 dollars, please." Blaine held out his hand at them both, not giving in on this. They were his favorite sheets that his friends had soiled, "and you can take that sheet with you. It's Egyptian cotton."

"Blainey, familiarity breeds contempt, don't be scrupulous now." Dylan complained, raising his leg as if to kick him. 

"Ignore him. I'll give him some cuddles now and he'll forget about it." Kurt assured them.

"No, seriously, these guys have to buy me new sheets. I can't sleep in that bed knowing what happened." Blaine said to Kurt, and his boyfriend rolled his eyes as he saw the playful but serious glint in his gaze.

Blaine turned and glared harder at Nate, and his best friend sighed before pulling out his wallet. Blaine smirked as he handed him 20 dollars. 

As Dylan was about to complain about it, Nate grinned and shook his head. 

"We wouldn't want our own bed to be made into someone else's love making pit, would we?" He said to Dylan as Blaine flashed a grin at Kurt.

"Are you happy now?" Kurt asked, and as soon as Blaine nodded proudly, like a kid who had got his way, he had no choice but to kiss him. 

"Kurt, you're a traitor. Don't reward him." Dylan said with a frown, not because he was upset, but trying to drag the joke a little longer. He knew they had to leave soon and he didn't want to.

Blaine hummed as his lips left Kurt's and then turned to Dylan with a cheeky grin.

"Don't worry, Dyl, when me and Kurt come to your place for a visit, we'll make love in your bed in return." He said as he laughed.

The image crossed Dylan's mind and a look of disgust appeared on his face as Blaine smirked at him as if to say 'See?'. 

"Well, now I don't feel so guilty about not being able to confirm whether we'll come for your birthday or not." 

Kurt, who was looking at Dylan with a smile, immediately turned to Blaine as the memory of a conversation with Camille hit him. 

July the 26th. Blaine's birthday was in two weeks. 

"Baby, why didn't you remind me about it?" He asked, feeling terrible about himself.

Blaine turned to him with a smile. 

"Sweetheart, I don't really do anything for my birthdays." He said calmly, "I never have."

Kurt raised his eyebrows in surprise. That added many more questions to the ones he had previously about Blaine's family, but now wasn't the time to ask any of them. 

"That's going to change this year. We have to do something special..." He paused for a few seconds until he smiled excitedly. "We should have a party!"

"No, no, don't worry about it, Kurt." Blaine smiled as he waved off the idea, "all I really do is have a couple of drinks with friends, that's all." 

Nate and Dylan agreed with nods. 

"It's true." Nate added, "he's never really done much for his birthdays in all the years we've known him."

"But this year he has me, and I want to celebrate it as he deserves." Kurt told them like it was the most obvious thing in the world, forgetting for a moment that Blaine was right next to him. "Is there any chance that you could come if I plan something? I should know as soon as possible, we don't have much time and-"

"Kurt!" Blaine said a little louder, interrupting Kurt's rambling, which made Nate and Dylan look at him with surprise, as well as Kurt, "darling, I don't want a party. Please. I just...this year, all I wanna do is spend the day with you." 

Blaine took Kurt's hand in his and gave him a smile. He knew he had been a little harsh, but he had to stop Kurt from throwing him a party. He hated parties.

Kurt didn't expect Blaine to react that way. He wasn't hurt, just a little shocked. 

But then he thought that Blaine was simply trying to save him the hassle of having to prepare anything, so he decided it was best to just let it be... he could arrange it anyway. 

"Okay. Whatever you want." He said with his best smile, although something in Blaine's gaze made him think that he didn't quite believe him.

"Thank you." Blaine breathed out in relief, hoping that Kurt had actually understood, but there was a small glint in Kurt's eyes that made him worry, "I know my birthday will be special as long as I get to share it with my soulmate."

Kurt gently stroked Blaine's curls with his hand before leaning in to kiss his cheek. 

"Aww." Dylan whispered, breaking the moment.

"You don't want to leave, do you?" Nate whispered to his boyfriend with a knowing look. "Neither do I."

Dylan looked at him sadly. 

"It's been less than two days again, we barely had time to be together." He said with a pout. 

"Guys, it's okay. You can come back in two weeks." Kurt suggested, but then he noticed Blaine's eyes on him. "Or whenever you can. Blaine and I owe you a visit, anyway."

"Yeah, maybe we can go and see them in two weeks?" Blaine said with a grin to Kurt before looking at his friends. 

Nate didn't really show outward emotions, but Blaine knew he was sad to leave. Dylan still had an adorable pout on his face, and Blaine stepped forward to give them both a hug. 

"I'll miss you, guys." He said as he tightened his arms.

Nate and Dylan hugged Blaine tightly, as if by holding onto him they could stop time and stay there a little longer. 

Kurt watched them with a sad smile. Blaine was the love of his life, but the two other guys had already earned a place in his heart too.

Nate looked up and opened an arm, gesturing for Kurt to get in on that hug too. Blaine turned and nodded his head at him, holding an arm out too. Kurt immediately joined the hug, placing himself between Blaine and Nate and resting his head on Nate's. 

"Maybe you don't know this, but I hate goodbyes, so you should leave before I start crying. I need to keep up my image." Kurt whispered with a hiccup and they all burst out laughing.

Dylan gave Kurt a kiss on the cheek and then Blaine's, while Nate grabbed both of them after and placed kisses on both of their foreheads. 

"Let's go, sweetheart." Nate said with a watery smile as he turned to Dylan.

Dylan just nodded, fearing that if he opened his mouth, he would fall apart. The two of them grabbed their bags and Blaine and Kurt walked them to the door. 

They got on the elevator and waved goodbye, and as when the doors closed, Blaine sighed, his head down. 

Kurt looked at him and took his hand. 

"Hey, I'll stay a little longer, okay?"

"Yes, please." Blaine hugged him close as he closed the apartment door.

Kurt held him in his arms, knowing that at that moment Blaine needed his closeness. It was difficult to have the people he loved far away from him, and Kurt knew what that was. He missed his parents every day. 

He gave small kisses on Blaine's neck while his hands caressed his back. 

"We'll see them soon." He stated. "I was serious about going to Virginia, even before the proposal, if you want to."

"Yeah, we can." Blaine nodded with a smile, "I can show you around. I mean, we could take the trip down for my birthday?"

Kurt pulled away a bit, trying to come up with an excuse. Saying 'goodbye' to the guys hadn't changed his mind about the party.

"Maybe that weekend isn't the best option." He avoided Blaine's gaze, suddenly interested in the buttons on his shirt. "We can go the week after that."

Blaine raised an eyebrow and then pouted. 

"Don't tell me you're actually going to plan a party for me."

Kurt didn't want to lie to Blaine, and he knew that, by now, his boyfriend knew him well enough to know if he did, so he needed a distraction. 

Then a mischievous grin crept over his face. 

"Baby, it's so hot in here, isn't it? I think summer heat has come without warning." Kurt started unbuttoning his own shirt, blowing on the skin that was being exposed to cool it down.

Blaine's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open as Kurt's chest was exposed. He couldn't help being distracted by it for a few seconds, taking in the look of all that smooth creamy skin over hard muscle. 

But he shook it off a little as he looked back up to Kurt's face. 

"Now you're just trying to distract me, aren't you?" He said with a grin.

"What? No, I'm totally serious." Kurt looked at him like he was offended. "Don't you notice it?" 

Without taking his eyes off Blaine, Kurt unbuttoned his shirt until it was totally open on his chest. He threw his head back, stretching his long neck, and ran a hand through his hair as he let out a small moan.

Blaine gulped loudly and repressed his own groan as his dick twitched in his jeans, obviously interested. But he tried to ignore it as he looked pointedly at Kurt. 

"It's not that hot in here..." He said slowly as Kurt ran a hand over his chest, "I…ugh..."

Kurt walked over to Blaine, feeling that he was starting to get really turned on because of his little game. 

When he was in front of him, he took Blaine's hand and placed it on his chest, noticing how Blaine immediately gripped his fingers over his skin. 

"Isn't it hot?" He asked, his darkened eyes fixed on Blaine's lips.

Blaine actually groaned low in his throat this time. He flicked his eyes down to his hand on Kurt's chest before looking back up to his eyes. 

"Erm...you're just trying to get me to agree to this party...and it's not gonna work."

"Who is talking about a party? It's just so hot in here... I can't help it, baby." Kurt said with all the innocence he could pretend, before starting to fan himself with his hand. 

Then he remembered Blaine's words from this morning about making love to him on the kitchen table. Would that be a fantasy for him? 

"I think I need a drink." Kurt pulled away from Blaine, who stood with his hand in the air for a few seconds until he was aware that Kurt's chest was no longer there, and after dropping his shirt to the floor, he headed to the kitchen.

Blaine watched him go with a raised eyebrow. He was beginning to feel the pressure in his jeans as his erection pushed against his zipper. He was so hard now, and it was even harder to resist Kurt's flirting. 

He walked into the kitchen as Kurt sipped a glass of water, dripping some down his chin and onto his chest. He didn't wipe it away, though; instead, he rubbed the water droplets over his chest and then hoisted himself up to sit on the table. 

"What are you doing?" Blaine asked as he slowly approached Kurt.

"I needed to sit down for a moment." Kurt replied without further ado. 

Then Blaine was just inches away, standing between Kurt's spread legs. Kurt placed a hand on Blaine's cheek, and slid it down his neck, his chest and his abdomen, until it covered the bulge in Blaine's jeans. 

"Everything okay down here, baby?" He gasped.

"Gosh, you're really making it difficult not to ravage you on this table." Blaine said as he held in a gasp, closing his eyes to steady himself against the touch, "but you're not going to get away from this. I'm not going to agree to a party."

The hand on his dick flexed and pushed against it, and Blaine shivered a little as he leaned against the table, placing his hands either side of Kurt's thighs.

"Even if I tease you until you're about to explode and then just let you go?" Kurt asked with a devilish smile, and Blaine gasped lightly.

"You wouldn't."

"Do you want to test that theory?" Kurt asked as his palm kept stroking over Blaine's erection, which was crying out for release. He leaned in to slowly lick Blaine's throat, and then brought his mouth to his ear. "Do it for me." He whispered.

"Why?" Blaine asked with a whine as he tilted his head a little.

"Because I want to show you how much I care about you..." Kurt kissed Blaine's neck fervently, gently digging his teeth into his collarbone, "how much I love you." 

Then Kurt looked directly into Blaine's eyes as his fingers quickly unzipped his jeans and one of his hands slid inside, gripping Blaine's erection over the fabric of his boxers.

"It'll be good for us, too. We'll get to show off to everyone we love how much this relationship means to us." 

"A party can do that?" Blaine raised an eyebrow and released another groan as Kurt's fingers held him through the material.

"A party can do anything." Kurt licked another big stripe over Blaine's neck, all the way up to the bottom of his ear as Blaine shuddered.

"Oh god..." Blaine scrunched his face as Kurt stroked him through his underwear, and he choked on a gasp when Kurt's thumb pushed against the very tip, "fine, you win."

"Good." Kurt moaned, pulling his hand out of Blaine's jeans. 

When he saw that Blaine was about to complain, a mixture of laughter and gasp escaped his lips. 

"You can't go get the lube and condoms with my hand in there."

"Here?" Blaine asked as his eyes brightened a little, and he grinned. 

When Kurt nodded with a coy look on his face, Blaine sprang into action and kissed his lips quickly. 

"Be right back, don't go anywhere." He said as he almost ran to his bedroom.

Kurt laughed as he shook his head, trying to focus a bit. What had started as an attempted distraction had him sitting on the kitchen table and hard as he had never been in his life. 

He unzipped his own jeans and breathed in relief as he felt a little less pressure on his erection.

Blaine slipped around the corner as he came back from his bedroom, and slid along the floor a little. Kurt giggled at him until Blaine walked up between his legs again, placing the bottle of lube and a condom packet on the table beside Kurt and then grinning at his boyfriend before tugging his head in for a kiss.

Kurt could have come just for the urgency with which Blaine pressed their lips together and immediately pushed his tongue into his mouth. Kurt curled over him, arms around Blaine's neck and legs seizing his waist. 

The kitchen table was hard under his ass and it wasn't too comfortable, but Kurt couldn't care less.

Blaine grabbed Kurt's waist tightly and pulled him towards the very edge of the table, so that he could grind their erections together. He moaned into Kurt's mouth as he leaned forward more, forcing Kurt to lean back. 

"Are you okay doing it here? We could move..." Blaine mumbled around Kurt's tongue.

"Don't you dare..." Kurt gasped before sucking Blaine's lower lip into his mouth.

When he let go, he smiled as he thrusted against Blaine. 

"I want you to make love to me on this table." He asked, and he could see Blaine's eyes darken even more.

Blaine dove back in to kiss him deeper, before moving him backwards, so that he could get to the waistband of his jeans and tug them down his legs. 

Kurt chuckled as his back met the table, because it was cold on his skin and it tickled a little. Blaine smiled down at him as he kissed along his stomach and pulled Kurt's jeans off of his legs. 

He quickly removed his own jeans and t-shirt in a rush as he was to get back to Kurt. Once his clothes hit the floor, he moved back to kiss and suck at the skin on Kurt's lower abdomen.

"Oh, baby..." Kurt groaned as his hips pushed up instinctively. Blaine's mouth on his body had him almost desperate.

Blaine moved lower. The V shape that led down into Kurt's underwear was calling out to him, so he ran his tongue along both sides of it while tugging Kurt's boxers off. 

He smiled against the skin as Kurt's hips pushed up against him. He pulled back once he had thrown Kurt's underwear over the table with a laugh and then immediately stuck his mouth around Kurt's erection, that was begging for his attention.

"Shit, Blaine!" Kurt yelled, one of his hands caressing Blaine's curls and the other fisted on the table.

Blaine hummed around him as he ran his tongue around the base and he moved up and down slowly, Kurt's fingers curled in his hair tightly. 

He reached out for the lube as he started sucking on the flesh in his mouth, pouring some over his fingers quickly and then moving his hand to Kurt's ass. 

His first finger circled around a few times, before pushing inside slowly.

Kurt knew he had lost control over his body when just seconds after Blaine began to gently move his finger inside him, he pushed against it eagerly. To his surprise, he felt no pain or pressure. He was simply getting stretched incredibly fast. 

"Blaine, don't stop... faster... I need you inside." He groaned without thinking.

Blaine moaned as he pushed a second finger inside Kurt's body, expecting some resistance, but as Kurt's hips moved against him, it amazed him how quickly Kurt's body was accepting the intrusion. 

He didn't want to go too fast, though, he didn't want any look of pain to cross his love's face. 

He carried on with sucking Kurt's cock gently, not trying to push him over the edge but keeping him in that high state of arousal for as long as he could. 

Once the third finger was making its way inside next to the other two, Blaine pulled off of Kurt's cock and grinned as he crawled upwards to stare at Kurt's face. 

"I never imagined..." Blaine paused as he kissed his lips, "that I would make love to you...on this table, of all places."

"Was it a bad idea?" Kurt asked a bit confused. His brain wasn't getting much blood at the time.

"No, not bad." Blaine grinned at him, pushing his fingers in a little harder, making his boyfriend gasp into his mouth, "I just didn't expect it." 

He pulled his fingers free and then stood up straight so that he could slip his own underwear off and grab a condom, his darkened eyes still on Kurt, not even taking his gaze off of him for one second.

Kurt gulped as he watched Blaine put on the condom and stroke himself to coat his erection in lube. 

"Baby... can I... ask you a favor?" He managed to say, his eyes fixed on the move of Blaine's hand.

"Of course."

"I know you love me, and I love you, but... I don't want this to be soft or gentle." Kurt lifted his gaze to Blaine's face, studying his reaction. "I want you to fuck me."

Blaine smirked as he moved closer, pushing Kurt's legs up a little and then gripping his hips to pull him to the edge of the table again. 

"Who says making love and fucking have to be different?" He asked with a dark look as he pushed inside Kurt in one swift motion.

"Oh my fucking... Blaine!" Kurt growled, throwing his head back as his muscles pressed on Blaine's cock.

Blaine groaned as he bit the inside of his bottom lip a little and set a pace of slow but hard thrusts at first to make sure he wouldn't hurt his soulmate, but as Kurt began to moan and rock back against him, he decided that enough was enough. 

Soon he was grunting as he drilled his hips against Kurt's quickly, having to grip Kurt by his hips to stop him from being pushed along the table top. 

"Fuck...you're so good...so fucking tight..." He gasped out as he pushed Kurt's legs up more, so that he rested his knees over Blaine's shoulders, changing the angle of his thrusts again.

The moment Blaine changed the angle, Kurt even forgot his name. Only grunts, groans and meaningless noises came out from his mouth. It was as if his entire body was made of jelly and Blaine was controlling it at his will, and as far as Kurt was concerned, he had no interest in regaining control. 

His hips moved in rhythm with Blaine's, colliding hard with each thrust. He didn't want this to end, even though he didn't know how long he would be able to hold. 

"H-harder... harder, baby." He babbled.

Blaine pulled at Kurt's waist, making sure he was right up against him and picking up speed again. The hammering pace was making him sweat, beads of it rolling off of his forehead and down his face, and dripping onto Kurt's stomach beneath. 

He kept it up, though, as he felt Kurt's legs shaking against his shoulders. He dug his fingers into the flesh of Kurt's sides a little harder as he moved, the moans and grunts from Kurt becoming louder and louder as it went on. 

He was close to the edge himself. It felt so good being inside Kurt, so alive and warm.

"God...I love you."

Kurt opened his mouth to warn Blaine that he was about to come, but before he could, a vicious orgasm just hit him, shaking his body from head to toe. 

He didn't know if a scream came out from his mouth or if he didn't make a sound at all. He just went blank for a few seconds and lay exhausted on the table, enjoying the remnants of his high.

As soon as Blaine felt the first splashes of come against his chest and abdomen, and the muscles spasms around his dick, he yelled Kurt's name as he came too. He kept thrusting shallowly as he grunted; he wanted to keep the feeling going, but it seemed over almost too quickly. After the high went away, he found he was breathing heavily, still grasping Kurt's sides in his hands. 

He gently removed his fingers from Kurt's skin, noticing the bruising marks from his fingers, and then slipped out of his boyfriend. 

He removed the condom and got rid of it before moving back to Kurt and dropping his head down to lick at the droplets and rivulets of come that had painted Kurt's pale skin.

Kurt managed to move his hands until they were both playing with Blaine's hair as he licked his abdomen. 

Then, out of nowhere, a fit of laughter came over him. He was too tired to squirm, but his stomach started to shake, forcing Blaine to pull away as he covered his face with his hands, trying to stifle his giggles.

Blaine couldn't help the laugh that came out of his own mouth as he looked down at Kurt giggling. 

"What's so funny, baby?" He asked with a grin, curious as to why Kurt had decided to lose his mind naked on the table.

Kurt forced himself to take a deep breath until he could control his laughter enough to answer Blaine. 

"I just had the most incredible orgasm of my life on your kitchen table. We eat here... where my bare ass is right now." 

He started laughing again, until he held out a hand for Blaine to help him sit up on the table, since he didn't have the strength to do it himself. 

When he was face to face with his boyfriend, Kurt cupped Blaine's cheeks with both hands and smiled at him. 

"This was crazy, but I love you so much." He told him with a huge smile.

Blaine chuckled as he nuzzled his nose against Kurt's. 

"This was crazy, but hot...and I love you too." He told him with a smile as he helped Kurt hop off the table and walked around the table to grab Kurt's underwear for him. "I wouldn't worry too much about the table...I'll clean it."

"Yes, please, clean it up." Kurt asked him as he pulled on his boxers, smiling to himself when he saw the bruises from Blaine's fingertips marked on his skin. 

Then he remembered why all this had started, and approached Blaine again. 

"I know I've used very filthy methods to convince you, but you won't regret the party. I promise."

"As long as it's a small one." Blaine said to him with a little smile, "just the people I love, okay?"

"Okay." Kurt nodded, wrapping his arms around Blaine to kiss him as an idea began to take form in his mind.

******

It was extremely hard to say 'goodbye' to his boyfriend on Sunday night, but Kurt had to go home, as work waited for nobody. Blaine had given him his spare key to the apartment before he left, though, earning himself another deep kiss for about 10 minutes and a promise to see him tomorrow. 

When Blaine woke up on Monday morning, there was a huge smile on his face. He immediately grabbed his phone when he opened his eyes, not spying any texts from Kurt yet, so he decided that he should send the first one that morning. 

\- Good morning, my glorious boyfriend. What an amazing weekend we had, can't wait to see you XD Hope you have a good day at work today, even if we don't get time together. I love you, baby :) x - 

He smiled as he sent it, before getting up to take a quick shower. As he washed his hair, he thought about Kurt's hands on his scalp, lathering up the shampoo. Washing his own hair wasn't the same now, but he was sure that, at some point, Kurt would do it again. 

After he was out, and dried, and dressed, he picked up his phone, noticing one new text message, and he opened it with a small smile. 

From: Kurt 

\- Good morning to you too, gorgeous XD I loved this weekend, and we should do it more often. Even though I have to work through lunch today, I want you to be in my office with me. I miss you. I love you too xx :) - 

Wait, had Kurt invited him to his office at lunch time? Blaine sighed in relief. He loved having lunch with Kurt, whether they were alone or with others. But Blaine would obviously be there if Kurt needed to do more work. 

\- Of course I'll have lunch with you there. See you soon x - 

Blaine made himself a quick breakfast, just some toast and fruit, and some fruit tea instead of coffee that morning, before grabbing his lunch bag and then pocketing his phone, wallet and keys before heading to his door. He had made sure last night to connect Kurt's door key onto his keychain, so that he could go over whenever he wanted to. 

He might go there today after work, but he didn't want to crowd Kurt this week, even if he had said he would tell Blaine when he needed his own time. He would have to ask when he saw him.

He spent most of the morning focused on his work. The graphic designer team had an especially tough assignment this month, and he was excited. He loved challenges. 

That's why he was so into it that he didn't realize it was 12 o'clock until his co-workers started heading to the dining room. Jonathan only had to give him a glance to know that he wouldn't join them, but Blaine knew he understood. 

Just a few minutes later, he was knocking on Kurt's door. He was expecting to hear the classic 'come in' from his boyfriend, but instead, Kurt opened the door, and as soon as he saw that it was Blaine, he gave him a bright smile before grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him into his office. 

When the door closed, Kurt pushed him gently against it and pressed his lips to Blaine's, softly but firmly. 

Blaine let himself be carried away by Kurt, who kissed him the way he wanted for almost 5 minutes before pulling away and returning to his chair while taking a deep breath. 

"I have to work while we eat, but I needed to do that. How was your morning, baby?" Kurt asked him almost nonchalantly, but his redden lips and wide eyes betrayed him.

Blaine breathed in deeply as he calmed himself down a little before giving Kurt a grin. 

"My morning has been great. And having lunch with you is always a highlight, so I don't mind if you need to work." He said as he followed Kurt back to his desk.

Kurt got his lunch out and put it on his desk as he sat behind his computer again, and Blaine took a seat in the chair on the other side. 

"Actually," Blaine said, and Kurt paused what he was doing to look up at him curiously, "I have a little surprise in my lunch bag for you."

"A surprise?" Kurt asked excitedly trying to grab Blaine's bag, but he ended up pouting when Blaine put it out of his reach.

"For after we finish our lunches." Blaine said playfully as he took out his own lunch.

"You're evil." Kurt took a bite of his sandwich before turning his face to his computer and typing in a few things. "Sorry I can't pay you more attention, but it's this or come out an hour later."

"I told you it's fine." Blaine said with a smile as he bit his own sandwich, just enjoying watching Kurt working. 

His boyfriend's face took on a whole new level of seriousness while he was typing. It was incredible to watch the transformation in front of his eyes.

"Some people don't know how to do anything right." Kurt huffed and shook his head as he typed. "Please, tell me anything. Your voice will distract me from my homicidal instincts."

Blaine chuckled. 

"Well, after the date you took me on to see the stars, I actually ordered a telescope of my own; I'm still waiting for it to arrive. I didn't tell you because I wanted to surprise you with a star gazing of our own next week." Blaine said with a smile, still watching Kurt typing.

That made Kurt stop and look at Blaine. The frown was gone and there was only love in his eyes. 

"Oh, honey, really? That's great!" He reached for one of Blaine's hands and caressed it. "Although the truth is that I prefer to stare at your face while you watch them."

Blaine smiled affectionately as he squeezed Kurt's fingers. 

"The thing is, Jupiter is in sight next week, and because it's close to my star sign...it means romance and kindness, generosity and loyalty. I wanted to share that with you. To make it special for us." He explained, trying not to sound too nerdy.

Kurt's heart skipped a beat when he heard that. 'Fuck work', he thought as he got up and walked around the desk to sit on Blaine's lap. 

He gently cherished Blaine's face with his fingertips, as if he was touching something delicate and precious and didn't want to ruin it. 

"I'd love to do it. I'd love for you to show me Jupiter and the stars and listen to you talk about it. It's my idea of a perfect date with you."

"Really?" Blaine sighed out, "I thought it sounded a little bit nerdy...like how teenagers talk to each other?" 

He placed his hands gently on Kurt's waist, knowing there were still bruises there from the day before.

"I guess I always thought nerds had their charm." Kurt joked as his thumbs drew invisible circles on Blaine's cheeks. "That night when we watched the stars, you spoke with such emotion that your eyes shone with their own light, and your smile was so tender and perfect. I knew I always wanted to see you like that. Nothing makes me happier than seeing you happy."

Blaine blushed a little under Kurt's gaze and sent him a bashful smile. There was so much love in Kurt's voice that it completely embarrassed him and made him feel warm and safe. 

"I'm happy because you're happy. As long as it stays that way, I'll be nerdy for you." He said with a small laugh, petting at Kurt's sides a little.

"My little nerdy boy." Kurt leaned in to press his nose to Blaine's neck and inhale his scent. 

He curled up more on him, because there was no place where he felt safer. 

"Make me get up and keep working." He said in a small voice, making it clear that it was the last thing he wanted to do.

Blaine wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tighter for a second before kissing Kurt's cheek and then letting go. 

"The magazine won't survive without your input, baby, you should carry on." He said with a smile.

"But I need this." Kurt protested a bit, still not moving. "Everybody else doesn't understand what it's like to be with you. If they did, they wouldn't want to work, either."

"As much as I don't want to let go of you, if we don't do the work we have to do, we'll be out of jobs and that wouldn't be good." Blaine chuckled as he placed little kisses all over Kurt's cheek and temple, "but hey, I'll be here for the next 40 minutes, so you can have short breaks in between and come hug me."

That last part was the only thing that made Kurt stand up and return to his chair with a groan. He knew somebody else might think he was too cheesy or clingy, but Blaine didn't seem to mind, and he felt so lucky. 

After taking another bite of his sandwich, he turned to the computer and started working again. 

"Since we don't have any visitors this weekend, I suppose we'll have to make plans ourselves." He faked a sigh, as if that were a tragedy.

Blaine smirked. 

"Well, if you would rather spend the weekend by yourself, you can." He said as he bit into the last of his sandwich, "I could make my own plans if-"

Blaine stopped talking as soon as Kurt picked up a pen from his table and threw it at him, hitting his chest. 

"You think you're so funny, right?" Kurt was looking at the screen, but Blaine could see him pursing his lips.

Blaine snorted out a laugh and then reached into his lunch bag to get the surprise for Kurt. He pushed a small box towards Kurt, that had the name of a bakery all over it, and then slid a plastic fork on the top. 

"Don't pout, baby, you know I'm only kidding. Besides, didn't you want my surprise for you?"

Kurt saved the document he was working on before turning his attention to the box that Blaine had placed in front of him. He immediately opened it and his mouth fell open. 

It was a slice of chocolate and vanilla cheesecake, but what really made Kurt sigh was the heart-shaped strawberry placed right on top. 

"Baby... this is..." He tried to find the words, but he failed.

"I asked the lady in the bakery to add a heart on top. I got them this morning." Blaine explained as he opened his own box of cheesecake, and he smiled back up at Kurt. "I hope you like it. I know that normally you like just vanilla cheesecake, but trust me, you'll love the chocolate side too."

When Kurt looked up from the cake and stared at him, his face was simply lit up with happiness. 

"Okay, I want you to pull up your chair and come sit next to me to eat this. If I sit on your lap again, not even a SWAT team could pick me up from there, and I need you close." He asked as he plunged his fork into the cheesecake to take a bite. 

By the time Blaine sat down next to him, Kurt was almost moaning. 

"This is food porn." He stated.

"Yeah, it really is." Blaine said as he bit into his cake too, moaning under his breath a little, "but watching you eat it could be a new kind of porn too. Can I take a video?"

He laughed at Kurt's slightly offended glare and leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek.

Kurt placed one hand on Blaine's knee as he used the other to eat and his eyes were on the computer screen for an email he was waiting for. Kurt was the picture of multitasking. 

"You're not going around with a video of me moaning while eating on your phone, you pervert." He laughed before taking a new bite of cake but bringing it to Blaine's mouth this time.

"What are you doing?" Blaine laughed curiously, "I have my own cake." 

At Kurt's pointed look, Blaine took the bite off of his boyfriend's fork and then brought his own piece up to Kurt's mouth.

"It's better this way." Kurt said with a small smile until he saw that the last piece of his slice was the one with the strawberry heart on it. "I don't want to eat it, it's too beautiful." He let out a whine.

"Oh, that's okay." Blaine said with a smile as he brought out his phone, scrolling through it and then turning the screen to Kurt, "I took a picture of both of them before they were boxed. I'll send it to you."

"You thought of everything, huh?" Kurt smiled when his phone buzzed with Blaine's picture. "I wanted to do the same, but next thing I knew, it was already in my mouth... the cake." He added when he saw Blaine's grin at his words.

"I know you have an eye for beautiful things. That's why I took the picture, so you can eat it, but keep it too." Blaine explained, "but I-" 

He was cut off from more explanation as Kurt smashed their lips together, and he moaned as he gripped Kurt's shirt gently, keeping them close. 

After a few seconds, Kurt pulled back and smiled at him. Blaine just stared at him with wide eyes, completely in awe.

"Yeah, I have an eye for beautiful things." Kurt said by way of explanation, pecking Blaine's lips once more and breathing in relief when the email he was waiting finally arrived. 

After clicking on it and checking that it was all right, he turned happily to Blaine. 

"I'm all yours for a few minutes." He announced, leaning into Blaine again until their faces were so close together.

"Okay." Blaine managed to say before Kurt sealed their mouths back together.

Kurt tugged on Blaine's shirt, forcing him to get up from the chair and straddle him. As soon as he felt Blaine on him, his lips became more demanding, and he buried one of his hands in Blaine's curls to make him tilt his head so he could deepen the kiss.

Blaine hummed into the kiss as their tongues met, and pushed himself extra close on Kurt's lap. He moved his hands to the back of Kurt's chair so that he wouldn't move at all, letting his boyfriend take whatever he wanted. 

The flavors of cake on both of their tongues mixed together and made them both groan.

"I want you all the time, it's insane." Kurt muttered against Blaine's lips before pushing his tongue back into his mouth as his hands slid down to squeeze Blaine's ass.

"Tell me about it." Blaine grinned as he pulled his mouth away from Kurt, bringing his hands down and pulling Kurt's off of his ass, placing them on his chest instead. "Don't make me horny, baby....all I want you to do is fuck me on your desk, and we can't..." He whined as he went back in for a kiss, moaning again.

"Jesus Christ, Blaine, why did you have to say that? Now it's the only thing I can think of." Kurt clung to Blaine's chest as his mouth angrily devoured Blaine's, sucking over and over on his tongue.

Blaine's throat made a noise akin to a growl, his hands going to the back of Kurt's chair again and pulling his hips down to Kurt's as a rush of pleasure went down his spine. 

He couldn't stop from squirming on top of Kurt, pushing and pulling himself closer until there wasn't an inch of space between all parts of them.

The alarm that should go off inside Kurt's head to remind him of where they were seemed to be out of order at the moment, or just everything that Blaine made him feel overruled everything else. His boyfriend was completely glued to him and the heat was so overwhelming.

Ignoring what Blaine had said a moment ago, one of Kurt's hands squeezed Blaine's rounded ass again while the other tugged at his curls to make Blaine expose his throat, so he could start licking along it.

"Ah!" Blaine gasped as Kurt's lips, tongue and teeth started to make a line down his neck. His hands tightened their grip on the chair as Kurt's hand on his ass squeezed a little harder. 

Blaine couldn't control his body's reactions anymore, and his breathing sped up as his pants tightened inbetween them.

"Baby, if you want this to stop, you'll have to do it, because I can't right now." Kurt gasped against Blaine's neck, as he grinded up slightly to show his boyfriend the effect he had on him.

"Pulling away from you is going to take more strength than I'm capable of..." Blaine said softly, but as he opened his eyes and spied the office walls around them, he came back to his senses a little. 

He sat up and, with as much strength as he could, he peeled Kurt's hands off of him and then stood up. He walked to the side a little and leaned back against Kurt's desk, breathing heavily as he looked at Kurt, who had a similar problem with catching his own breath. 

Both of their faces were bright red, and both had straining erections in their pants.

"I can't believe you actually stopped." Kurt said in a low voice. "I don't know if I feel disappointed or grateful." 

He leaned back against the back of his chair and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to get his brain to command his cock to return to its resting state.

"You can feel a little of both, but you know it's the best option for the office." Blaine said with a smile as he sat back down in his own chair, but he hissed and adjusted the front of his pants first before sitting more comfortably.

"I don't give a shit about the office right now." Kurt grunted honestly, with a dry laugh before looking at Blaine again. 

When their eyes met, they stared at each other for almost a minute until a loving smile appeared on their faces. They seemed to have somehow put their arousal under control.

"Pfft...and what if the boss were to walk into your office to ask you something and see us fucking on the desk?" Blaine laughed lightly, as his erection finally went away as he cooled down.

"You mean Julia? I'm sure she and Jonathan have fucked here more than once." Kurt chuckled, though his nose wrinkled at the idea. "Either way, I'd appreciate it if you would stop using the words 'fuck' and 'desk' in the same sentence, at least until I can get a bottle of lube and some condoms and put them in the desk drawer."

Blaine raised his eyebrows until they almost reached his curls. 

"Don't you dare judge me, this is your fault." Kurt pointed to his crotch, which had not fully relaxed yet.

Blaine's eyes flicked down to Kurt's erection, and he smirked as he looked back at his face. 

"Don't you have work to do?" He teased, not making any comment about lube and condoms being an option for the work place, "we have like 20 minutes left of lunch time."

"You're a..." Kurt snorted and shook his head before fixing his eyes on the computer screen. He knew he had a couple of articles to correct, but had another idea first. 

Noticing that his boyfriend was looking at him as he typed, Kurt logged into his personal email account and searched for Blaine's email address, which he had kept since he helped him send resumes what seemed like a century ago. 

He typed 'IMPORTANT' in the subject of the email, and as the body he just wrote 'Sooner or later, it will happen. On this desk. Don't forget about it.' 

Kurt hit 'send' and waited.

Blaine's phone pinged and he took it out of his pocket. He opened his email with a raised eyebrow, seeing it was from Kurt and said 'IMPORTANT'. As he read it, he flicked his eyes up to Kurt, before a slow smirk stretched his lips. 

"How could I ever forget about it?" He mumbled out loud, and then laughed a little.

"Well, that makes two of us." Kurt giggled and got to work, this time for real. 

As he went through the articles, a part of him couldn't help but wonder at what point the innocent Kurt Hummel, who had always considered himself satisfied if he had decent sex once a week, had turned into that insatiable animal.

Blaine sat comfortably in the chair next to Kurt, just watching what he was doing. The silence wasn't awkward, it was nice; neither of them had to say a word. Every time Kurt had a little bit of a break from typing, he would grab and hold Blaine's hand for a few minutes, until he needed to get back to it. 

This is how it went on for the following 20 minutes, until Blaine had to leave to go back to his floor for work. He placed a kiss on Kurt's cheek lightly, telling him not to work too hard as he winked at him. 

Before picking up his bag, though, he reached inside it one more time and brought out a tiny little sweet that he placed in front of Kurt before turning to leave. 

He blew him a kiss as he opened the door, and when he did leave, Kurt sighed lightly.

He took the sweet with a smile. It seemed incredible to him what had been about to happen and what he was even considering that would happen one day... but what didn't surprise him was the realization that the moment Blaine left his office, he already missed him.

******

On Tuesday after work, when Kurt was at home doing his laundry, he was startled by a noise, but he immediately knew what it was.

He ran into the living room and found Blaine, who had just open the door with the key that Kurt had given him and was looking at him with a small smile.

"Hey. I know I'm coming unannounced. I... just wanted to see you, but if you're busy, I can..."

He didn't finish the sentence, because Kurt jumped on top of him and pressed his lips to his. If Blaine had had any doubts about whether Kurt would be glad for his visit or not, his boyfriend had just erased them.

They were together for a couple of hours, making out slowly on the couch but not looking for anything else to happen. They both just wanted cuddles and closeness, and that's what they got.

After a bite to eat and a few more kisses by the door, Blaine left, and Kurt lay down on the couch again with a smile and a lot of butterflies in his stomach.

With that feeling of happiness, he picked up his phone. He needed to seriously start planning Blaine's birthday party. Something inside him made him want to make Blaine as happy as possible, so he looked for a number in his contacts and called.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Brooke, it's Kurt." He said. "How are you all? How is the pregnancy going? Does my future nephew or niece give you a lot of trouble?"

"Hi, Kurt." There was a smile in her voice, "we're all good here...and the baby is being good for me too. How are you?"

"Glad to know that. I'm... great, actually. Better than ever." He stated with a wide smile.

"That's great to hear, sweetie. I take that things with my brother are going smoothly?"

"Yeah. I'm so happy and it's totally his doing." Kurt sighed, remembering how just a few minutes ago he was snuggled in his arms. "And that's why I'm calling you. I wanted to know if you guys have plans for Saturday next week."

"Saturday? I don't think so. Why? Has Blaine finally decided to celebrate his birthday?"

"Let's say I pushed him a little. I told him I was very excited to throw him a party and, in the end, I convinced him." Kurt smirked. Blaine's kitchen table could attest to how well he had convinced him.

"Wow. Well done, honey. I don't think Blaine has had a party since he was… 7 years old."

"What? How is that possible?" The words slipped from Kurt's lips before he realized they weren't just random questions, because he was asking them to someone who might actually have the answers.

"Well, it's a little complicated...I used to try every year while I was still living with him at home, but he always refused to come out of his room for anything. He said his birthdays didn't mean anything to him."

Kurt knew that Brooke was keeping a lot of things bottled up inside, and deep down, he was relieved. He didn't want Blaine to think he was coming to his sister for information. He would tell him sometime... or so Kurt hoped. 

He doubted if he should ask the next question, but it was one of the reasons for his call after all. 

"Brooke... do you think your parents would come to the party if I invited them?" 

As Brooke fell silent, Kurt decided to add something else. 

"I mean, Blaine never talks about them, and... well, I don't know how things are between them, but I thought this could be a good excuse to bring them all together."

"I don't know if it's such a good idea...and if Blaine hasn't said anything about them, it's for a good reason." Brooke hesitantly told him, "I guess you could ask them, but don't expect a reply."

"I think I have to try, you know?" Kurt shrugged. "You saw him with my parents, Brooke, he was... he was wonderful. I want this party to be a way of thanking him for everything he does for me, and I wouldn't forgive myself for not trying to reunite his whole family."

"Okay, sweetie, if you really want to try, just try. I would hate for this to go badly, though."

Then Kurt had a bad feeling. Maybe that wasn't a good idea. If Brooke, Blaine's sister, had doubts about it, wouldn't it be better to just forget the whole thing? 

What a shame that Kurt was so stubborn.

"I'll take care of the situation. Most likely they'll say 'no' and that's it, but... could you give me a way to contact them? A phone number or an email?"

"I have a number for my mother, but my father would probably be best to be contacted by email, so I'll give you both. And it might be better if you call yourself 'Blaine's friend' in the email...just don't ask." Brooke said with a sigh, before telling him the number for their mother and the email for their father.

Kurt wrote them both down on a notepad as something he should have taken as a large danger sign etched into his mind. 

'Blaine's friend? Please, don't let his father be homophobic', Kurt thought. 

"Don't worry, I will." He replied, swallowing his concern. "Anyway, I'm counting on the four of you, right?"

"Yeah, of course." Brooke said with a smile in her voice again, "my mother's name is Francesca, by the way, and my father's is Harris, but you should probably address him as Mr. Anderson."

"Thanks, Brooke, for everything." Kurt said honestly. "I'll let you know when I have the details, okay? And... could you please not tell Blaine about this call? I don't want him to know anything for now."

"Sure. But maybe you should tell him about inviting our parents."

"I will, but not until I talk to them. If it goes wrong and they say 'no', I'd rather spare Blaine a disappoinment." Kurt explained.

"Okay, I trust your judgement. Take care, sweetheart. Tell him I love him, okay?"

"Of course. Thank you again, Brooke. Give Finn and the kids a kiss for me, okay? See you next week." 

Kurt hung up the phone with a knot in his stomach. He took the notebook where he had jotted down the information Brooke had given him and forced himself to silence a small voice in his head. 

"You're doing this for Blaine, you just want to make the man you love happy." Kurt said out loud, trying to cheer himself up. 

He dialed Francesca's number and waited. To his relief, after several ringtones, her voicemail went off. As soon as he heard the beep, Kurt spoke. 

"Hi, Mrs. Anderson, ahm, Francesca. My name is Kurt Hummel and I'm... a friend of your son's, Blaine. Next week is his birthday, on Saturday, as you probably know, and we're having a party for him and, well, I think it would be amazing if you came, so if you could reply to this message, it would be great. Erm... thank you." 

He tossed the phone on the couch, angry with himself. Could he have left a more pathetic message? His trembling voice and his choice of words hadn't been the best possible, but it was done, so he reached for his phone again and opened his mailbox.

"Hello, Mr. Anderson, 

You don't know me, but I'm a close friend of your son's, Blaine.

We're throwing a party for his birthday a week from Saturday, and I was wondering if it would be possible for you to make it down to New York. It might seem like this is coming out of thin air, but I would really like it if you could be there for Blaine.

Thank you for your time. Please get back to me when you can.

Kurt."

After correcting and changing so many words and even whole sentences, Kurt thought that this was the best he could do, so before he regretted it, he sent it. 

Good. He had just reached out to Blaine's parents to come to their son's birthday party. 

Try as he might, Kurt couldn't remember seeing any of them at Brooke's wedding. She and Finn had walked down the aisle together, and if he'd seen them before or after the ceremony, his mind had wiped it out. But they would have to be there... what kind of parents would miss their daughter's wedding? 

Kurt decided not to dwell on the subject for that night. With any luck, they would both say 'yes' and he would tell Blaine about it with a smile. If they didn't answer or said 'no', he would let it be. 

Either way, he wouldn't let anyone or anything ruin Blaine's birthday.


	32. Chapter 32

Kurt was nervous on Wednesday, waiting for Blaine's father or mother to get back to him about the party. He had been thinking about it since he left those messages, wondering whether or not he had done the right thing. 

Blaine didn't talk about his parents, so Kurt didn't really know what kind of relationship he had with them. Maybe they had just lost touch… anyway, Kurt really hoped that he hadn't messed things up. He thought about what Brooke had said to him about telling Blaine, but at the moment he would just wait for them to message him back before letting his boyfriend know. 

Work wasn't as busy on Wednesday and Thursday, because the magazine editing had been completed, so his department didn't have that much more things to do with it. Blaine spent lunch time with him and Camille those two days in the lunch room, and they made plans to have a date night on Friday. 

Blaine also surprised him with a visit on Thursday after work. Kurt smiled so widely that his face started aching. They watched hours of comedy movies, laughing their asses off together and then sharing sweet kisses over ice-cream before Blaine left. 

Kurt could never have imagined that he and Blaine would have this good of a relationship; it was really working for them now. As long as they were honest and told each other everything, they would be okay. 

But Kurt sighed after Blaine had gone home, because he wasn't being completely honest with him about what he had done. Should he come clean and just talk it out with him? It probably would be the best. 

He would discuss it with Blaine the next day on their date night; he would get it all out in the open.

******

Blaine felt on top of the world that week. He and Kurt had been spending a lot of time together, and it was so domestic and so nice that Blaine could really see himself living with Kurt in the future. 

On Friday morning, he sent his usual 'good morning' text to Kurt, and a promise to see him later. The graphics department had a full busy day today, so he couldn't spend lunch time with Kurt. It was date night anyway, and Blaine had planned to sneak home before going to Kurt's and pick up a bag with a few clothes, hoping that Kurt wouldn't mind him staying the weekend again.

When 4pm came and everyone started to pack up for the day, Blaine had a smile on his face thinking about the awesome time they were going to have this weekend. He had just got back to his car when his phone buzzed, and he plucked it out of his pocket with a smile. 

'Seems like Kurt can't wait either', he thought to himself as he looked at the screen. But it wasn't a message, it was an email notification. 

He furrowed his brow and opened the email, before freezing in shock. Why the hell did he have an email from his father? 

He opened it as he swallowed hard. 

"Blaine, I received a message from a friend of yours on Tuesday about some kind of party for you. Sadly I'll have to decline the invitation. You know how I don't like to travel long distances, and I've heard you're living in New York with your sister now. Send her my love."

Blaine's breathing picked up as anger flooded his system. Friend? What friend? Did Kurt invite his father to the party? Behind his back? Blaine threw his phone down on the seat next to him and let out a loud yell of frustration. Why? Why on earth would his boyfriend, his soulmate, the person he wanted to spend his entire life with, do something like this without telling him? He reigned in his anger and sadness and then started his car. 

He was probably speeding through the city on his way to Kurt's, but he didn't care. He needed answers. 

******

Kurt still hadn't received any messages or phone calls from either of Blaine's parents come Friday lunch time, so maybe they really didn't have a good relationship with Blaine. He didn't know what else he could do. He would just tell Blaine tonight and they would work something out together. 

When he got home from work on Friday afternoon, he set about getting ready for their date. First, he turned on the oven and put in the food that he had started to prepare that morning. It was a surprise to Blaine, and he had to finish cooking it to only have to heat it up later. Then he made sure his hair was fixed nicely and was just about to go and get dressed when he heard his apartment door opening. 

He frowned as he glanced at the clock. Blaine was early, very early. He walked to the door with a smile, ready to joke with his boyfriend about how he couldn't wait a couple of hours for their date, but when he saw the expression on Blaine's face and the slam of the door when he closed it, Kurt knew something was wrong.

"Blaine, is everything okay?" He asked with a frown, moving a little closer to his boyfriend.

Blaine held up his hand and Kurt understood, because he stopped at a certain distance from him, although he looked totally confused.

"You wanna explain to me why I got an email from my father to say he can't make it to my birthday party?" He said with a glare as he crossed his arms, "what the fuck, Kurt?"

Kurt looked at him, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped. No, no, no, that couldn't be happening. Why the hell hadn't Blaine's father replied to him instead?

He took a breath and knew that the only thing he could do was be honest. 

"I'm sorry, baby. I wanted to surprise you, so I reached out to your parents, but since none of them answered, I assumed they wouldn't come… but I was gonna tell you tonight. Don't be mad, please."

"How the hell did you get their contact info?" Blaine asked, but before Kurt could answer, he shook his head. "You know what? I don't care. What I do care about is you going behind my back to invite people that I don't want there."

"I didn't go behind your back." Kurt said softly, as if he was explaining something to a small child. "I wanted to surprise you with the best of intentions..."

"No one doubts your intentions, Kurt, that's not what it is." Blaine cut him off. "The problem I have with this is that you hid it from me. I asked you to only invite the people I love, but you didn't listen to me."

Blaine's hands clenched into fists on either side of his body. Every time he remembered his father's email and how stupid he had felt, he wanted to break something.

"They're your parents." Kurt tried to justify himself. "I thought you guys would have had a stupid fight, but that doesn't mean you don't love them. And it's not like I could know that you didn't want to see them, though, because you've never told me about them."

"You thought? Jeez, Kurt..." Blaine ran both hands through his hair, clearly frustrated, as he started to pace the room. "Do you wanna know the truth? I hate my parents! Not everyone can have parents like yours!"

Blaine hated his parents. Kurt couldn't imagine how bad it was between them if his boyfriend had just screamed that he hated them. He didn't understand how anyone could hate their parents, but Blaine was right; not everyone had parents like his, he knew that.

That was a disaster. Blaine's parents were supposed to contact him, not Blaine. But it had taken the wind right out of his sails now, because he had every intention of telling him tonight. And now Blaine was there, angry, hurt and explosive, and Kurt didn't know what to do. He felt like an idiot standing in front of him. 

"And that's reason enough not to talk about it?" He tried to reason. He needed Blaine to understand. "We have a relationship, we're supposed to share that kind of thing."

"We've only been in a relationship for a month, Kurt." Blaine snapped, as if that amount of time was suddenly insignificant or not enough. "And I've shared things from my past with you. Things that hurt me. But this is on a whole new level and I don't like talking about it."

Kurt was starting to feel attacked, and the belief that Blaine didn't trust him spread throughout his body as if it were a disease.

"The least you could have done was tell me that!" He cried out. "The one time I mentioned your parents, you got out of bed and pretended nothing had happened. If you had told me you didn't want to talk about it, it would have been enough. Don't you trust me?" 

Blaine stared at him in disbelief, and the anger he felt inside grew. 

"Don't turn this around and make it sound like I'm the one in the wrong here! Of course I trust you, but don't pretend like you wouldn't have pushed me to contact them even if I had told you that. I know you would have." 

Kurt had had enough. He wasn't worried about Blaine anymore, he was angry now. How dare Blaine accuse him of pushing him to do anything? 

"When have I pushed you to do something you didn't want to do? What are you talking about, Blaine?" He waved his hands. 

"Well, this stupid party for one...I don't even know why I agreed." Blaine huffed out a laugh that was anything but amused, "And now you're trying to meddle in my life." 

Kurt took a step back, because he felt like Blaine had hit him. His boyfriend, his soulmate, was implying that his life was none of Kurt's business? 

"I'm meddling in your life? Wow, I'm sorry, I thought I was part of that life. Maybe it was my mistake, because if I meant anything to you, you would've trusted me enough to tell me something like this." He hit back, even angrier now that his feelings were hurt. 

Blaine only glared at him more. 

"Don't make this all about you!" He yelled at him, and Kurt stomped one foot. 

"I'm not making it about me!" 

"Yes, you are!" Blaine yelled even louder, "you're saying that I don't think you mean enough to me, and this isn't about us. This is about the fact that you've reached out to the two people from my past who I never talk about, hoping that it was just a little tiff that drove us apart, and you weren't even going to talk to me about it first!" 

"I would have told you about it tonight, I was planning on it." Kurt glared at Blaine as he walked around shaking his head. 

"You should have told me about it before, so I would have told you it was an awful idea." Blaine turned and pointed at him, gritting his teeth as he growled the last words. 

"Well, I didn't know it would be such a big deal, okay? We don't talk about them." Kurt crossed his arms with a huff, "I know nothing about your childhood, or your parents, or your life when you were a kid, so if I made a mistake, then I'm really sorry, but how was I supposed to know?" 

Kurt didn't understand, Blaine thought, shaking his head over and over. His parents were a dark part of his past, and his relationship with Kurt was the brightest light he had ever had. He couldn't contaminate it, he wanted to leave Kurt aside and focus only on their future. 

"Just because we're together doesn't mean I have to tell you every single thing about my life. My parents have nothing to do with our relationship." 

"You always say that you want to know everything about me, why can't I want the same from you? And your parents are an essencial part of who you are, for better or for worse. You saying that something like that isn't important shows that you've never been in a relationship." 

That hurt Blaine. Kurt knew he felt insecure about it and was using it against him, and he did feel a little bad about the bit of light that died in Blaine's eyes when he said it. 

"Better having not been in one than having been stuck in one you didn't want for 3 years." Blaine replied with more venom than he intended. 

Kurt gasped, the guilt from hurting Blaine just a second ago now vanished. Was Blaine really going to get Jamie involved in this? Was he reproaching him for having settled for so long? 

"Really? You've been obsessed with Jamie since the first day I told you about him." 

Blaine snorted as he looked mildly amused by that, but before he could interject, Kurt carried on. 

"And for your information, he didn't have a good relationship with his family, either, and always refused to talk about it. It seems I have a type." He said with his voice dripping in sarcasm, and Blaine's temper flared again. 

"Don't you dare compare me to that asshole." Blaine warned him.

"Why? You're the one who mentioned him in an attempt to distract me from the real topic here!" 

"Stop blaming me for everything!" Blaine yelled. "And don't play innocent... you've been comparing me to Jamie for a while, I've seen it." 

"What the hell are you talking about? I've never done that!" Kurt threw his head back, desperate. 

"You do it all the time; it's tiring and offensive." 

Kurt laughed, but there wasn't a bit of amusement in his reaction. 

"You're paranoid, and I think I know why." He started with a venomous smile on his face. His defenses had gone up around his heart now, and it turned his voice a little cold as he approached Blaine, "you've never been happy, you've never had anything good in your life and now that you finally have it, you feel the need to sabotage it because you think you don't deserve it. This is you running away from this!" 

Blaine's angry mask dropped a little at Kurt's words, and if Kurt's defensive walls had any cracks in, he would have seen the amount of damage he had done to his boyfriend. But Blaine was quick to shake off the pang of pain within his chest and narrowed his gaze at Kurt. 

"Me running away?" He asked rhetorically, "so you going behind my back to contact my parents, and me getting upset about it, is me sabotaging our relationship and running away? Wow, you're a bitch." 

Kurt almost growled at what Blaine called him, but before he could take a breath to fire something back, Blaine was speaking again, a low voice and a really angry look on his face. 

"You'd like that, right? Me running away, throwing all of this away?" He said as he flung his arms out, "so you can finally tell everyone that you were right from the start, that I can't be in a committed relationship." 

"Commited relationship? Do you even know what that is? You hide things from me and accuse me of meddling in your life, but you have the guts to say that I'm gonna go around showing off and saying 'I told you so' if you let me down?" Kurt screamed, his face red with rage. 

"Come on, Kurt, you've always thought that if something happened, it would be my fault, and since I walked through this door you've done nothing but throw things at me!" 

Blaine was backing down a little, and his eyes had hollowed and were set in a hard glare. He was back to not letting himself be open and feel anything. 

Fear paralyzed Kurt for a second; he hated that far away look on his boyfriend's face, but pride got the better of him. He wasn't going to back down. He had been hurt, and was embarrassed and angry. 

"If this is too much for you, if all those promises of the future weigh too heavily on your shoulders, you can leave, but I want you to know that I'm not going to run after you." 

Blaine stared hard at Kurt for a second, and then shook his head with an angry scowl as he turned around. 

"Fine, you know what? I'm going. And I don't fucking need anyone to chase me!" He yelled loudly as he slammed the door closed behind him. 

The dead silence in the apartment was deafening. All Kurt could hear was white noise and his own heartbeat for a few seconds before he screamed to himself in frustration.

******

Blaine was hyperventilating, he knew he was. After jumping back into his car, the tyres screeched as he tore away from Kurt's building quickly, and he took a few minutes to speed back through the city towards his place, but then he thought better of going back home. There was a bag of clothes waiting at his apartment, and he knew that if he went back there, it would only remind him of things that were supposed to happen tonight. 

Things that he had totally destroyed now. 

He parked the car down in the district, and once the car stopped, he began pounding his hands onto his steering wheel and screaming to himself until his voice broke, and then the tears started. 

He sobbed as he clung to the steering wheel, but anger took over again a few minutes later and he started kicking and punching things in his car. He got out after another couple of minutes, thinking a walk might help clear his thoughts a little. He sniffled as he wandered down a street he hadn't been before, coming to a park at the end of it. 

He walked to it and entered the little play area, just as it started raining. He didn't care, though; he sat on one of the swings there, and whined to himself as he started crying again. How could he have let that get so far? Why had he thrown Jamie into Kurt's face? 

But Kurt had also thrown his past into his, and the fact that he didn't know commitment before that. 

That still stung. Those words were so cold, they were hurting even now. The anger in Kurt's voice had really made Blaine afraid that he would lose him. 

He sighed as he sniffed, wiping his face and his nose on his jacket sleeve as the rain became heavier and soaked through his clothes. But he didn't move. He couldn't move. He could only think about Kurt, and how horrible he had been. 

Did he really call his boyfriend a bitch? He shook his head as he became angry at himself. You don't call people you love names. It was so stupid. Kurt would probably leave him because he had acted like a child during that fight. He was so mad and hurt; he threw a hissy fit. That's not how adults are supposed to resolve their issues. 

His anxiety went up as he thought back to the email. His throat burned and his eyes were streaming with water, some rain and some tears mixed in as he opened his mouth and screamed into the empty air of the park. After the scream stopped, his throat rattled and he swallowed against the soreness. 

Dammit. He had to grow up a little bit and stop letting his hatred for his parents destroy everything in his life. Kurt would never look at him the same way ever again, those angry hurt eyes that Blaine had caused haunted his mind. 

It was all his father's fault. That man had the habit of getting underneath Blaine's skin, and he created a rage inside him that would never go away. 

He had to fix it. But would Kurt want to talk to him anymore? Finn would probably be on his way over to kick his ass. 

He had to try, though. 

He got up off of the swing and rubbed his face as he walked slowly back to his car. He was wet and hurt, and his eyes were sore as well as his throat, but he drove slowly back to Kurt's place. He had promised Kurt that if he went away, we would always come back. 

As he pulled up to Kurt's building, he took a deep breath and got out the car.

******

He had left. Blaine had actually slammed the door and left. And what now? 

Kurt knew that couples argued and a fight didn't mean that it was all over, but this one had escalated pretty fast and they had ended up attacking and really hurting each other. 

He found his hands were shaking. He didn't want to cry, but a while ago he was going to spend Friday night with his boyfriend, and suddenly their relationship was hanging by a thread and his world was threatening to crumble. 

The tears started before Kurt knew it. He wanted to get to the couch and snuggle there, but suddenly he didn't have the strength to move, so he slid down the wall to sit on the floor, and when a few minutes later he pulled his phone out of his pocket, he was already sobbing. 

He needed to talk to someone, and as he waited for them to pick up, Kurt put on the speaker. He was using his shaking hands to wipe away the tears that kept falling.

"Hey, honeybunch! I wasn't expecting a call from you. I thought you would be all over somebody else." Came Dylan's teasing voice on the other end.

"Dyl..." Kurt said with a whine. "He left."

"Kurt? Who left? What happened, sweetie?" Dylan's voice turned concerned.

"I just wanted... I didn't know that things were so complicated... I was going to tell him, I swear... I don't understand how this happened..." Kurt blurted out while more and more tears wet his cheeks, unaware that his words made no sense.

"Woah, woah, sweetheart, take a deep breath...I don't understand, what's complicated?" Dylan asked, sounding frazzled like Kurt was.

Kurt took a deep breath. His friend wasn't going to be able to help him if he couldn't form at least one whole sentence. 

"I invited Blaine's parents to his birthday party and he found out before I could tell him." He confessed, feeling suddenly embarrassed.

"Oh, sweetheart, I know you had good intentions with that. Blaine should have realized that."

"He was so angry... he told me he hated them, and that I had no right to meddle in his life like that." Kurt muttered, feeling a twinge of pain at the memory.

"He said what?" Dylan said, slightly outraged, "he can be such an asshole when he's upset. I'm so sorry, baby. Did you say he left?"

"Yeah. The fight got out of hand, we were yelling at each other and I told him if this was too much for him, he could go." 

A sob and a lot of fresh tears interrupted Kurt, who had to wait a few seconds until he could continue speaking. 

"I-I thought he would get mad and keep yelling at me, but not that he would actually go. I don't know what to do now." He wrapped his arms around himself, looking for some comfort.

"Oh, Kurt, I wish I was there right now...oh, baby, don't cry, you'll make me cry- hey!"

There was a noise on the line and a little argument before Nate's calm voice came through.

"Kurt, calm yourself down, baby. It won't do you any good."

"Nate?" Kurt asked as he wiped his tears with the sleeve of his shirt. "Shit, I didn't mean to upset Dylan, I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about him, worry about yourself. I need you to stop talking for now and just breathe with me, okay?" Nate told him, still with that calm voice.

"Okay."

"In and out, slowly. Deep breaths, okay, babe?"

Although Nate couldn't see him, Kurt nodded, closing his eyes and focusing on Nate's soft voice. He took several deep breaths, sucking in air through his nose and releasing it through his mouth until he felt a bit better.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. Thanks." Kurt said with a hint of a smile. "It's not the first time you've done this, is it?"

"No, babe, maybe I should have taken a course in psychology...apparently, I'm good at it." Nate said lightly.

Kurt sighed. Now that the tears had stopped, he could feel the thoughts rushing through his head. 

"What should I do? I know I'm putting you in a tight spot because Blaine is your best friend, but I needed to talk to someone and-"

"Easy, easy. It's okay." Nate interrupted before Kurt's anxiety went back up again, "I'm glad you called us; if I can help you, then I will. It's okay."

"I shouldn't have tried to reach out to his parents, right? I just thought... I've had a lot of fights with my dad and we've spent days, even weeks without talking to each other, but it's my dad... I just wanted to give Blaine a chance to fix things with them." Kurt explained. 

He was playing absentmindedly with a piece of lint on the floor, which was clearly a sign of how sad he was. Kurt Hummel didn't play with dirt.

"That's out of your control, though, sweetheart. I know you like to think that being with his parents would be like you're with yours, but Blaine doesn't talk to his family. He never has since I've known him. Only to his sister."

"Brooke warned me it wasn't a good idea, but I didn't listen to her. I never listen." Kurt snorted.

"It's not your fault. You were trying to do the best you could with limited information available." Nate said, still in that calm tone of voice that kept Kurt's emotions in check, "Blaine explodes when he feels like stuff is out of his control, but I'm sure when he calms down, he'll see you meant well."

"Okay. I hope you're right, because... I can't lose him." Kurt said in a small voice, feeling his throat clench at the simple thought.

"That man loves you, Kurt. You won't lose him over this."

"Thank you. I needed to hear that." Kurt sighed as he got to his feet. "I think I'm going to wash my face and take out the food that I put in the oven a while ago, because it must be already scorched and I don't feel like calling the fire department." He tried to make a joke to reassure Nate, but he really wasn't in the mood.

"Alright then. If you need us anymore tonight, don't hesitate to call."

"You're the best, guys. Can you give Dyl a hug for me?" Kurt asked, feeling a bit guilty for making him feel bad.

"I will. Take care, baby."

"You too. Bye."

Kurt put his phone on the coffee table and headed for the kitchen when he heard a knock on the door.

For a moment, he thought he had imagined it, but then he heard it again, a little louder this time.

Kurt walked slowly towards the door. He didn't want to get his hopes up, it could be anyone. Besides, Blaine had a key. But when he took a deep breath and opened the door, he saw Blaine, totally crestfallen and wet from head to toe.

Blaine stared at his boyfriend for a few seconds, taking in his red eyes, wet face, flushed cheeks and sad gaze, like he had fallen apart, and it made Blaine's heart hurt.

"Kurt, I'm sorry." He said in a soft voice, eyes brimming with tears again, "I'm so sorry."

Kurt looked at him, feeling so relieved. Blaine was back. They could fix it because he was back. 

He gasped a few times, not knowing exactly how to start. 

"Why did you knock? Why didn't you use the key?" It was the first thing he managed to say.

Blaine gave him a watery smile.

"Because it's up to you to let me in. I didn't want to just stroll back in like I didn't just break your heart and expect you to want to talk. If you want me to come in and fix this, I will, but if you want me to leave, I will, too. We can do it another time."

Kurt knew they had to talk. There were a lot of things to work out between them, but right now he needed to do something. 

He approached Blaine and wrapped his arms around him. 

Kurt held him tight against his body, as if he was afraid someone would come and pull Blaine away from him again.

"I'm wet." Blaine mumbled against his shoulder, even as he wrapped his own arms around his boyfriend tightly.

"I know." Kurt laughed a little, feeling his own clothes a bit glued to his body, but he didn't let Blaine go. "Why are you wet, by the way?"

"It's raining." Blaine mumbled again, without letting him go either.

It was raining? Kurt had been so focused on his own drama that he hadn't even noticed. It seemed appropriate, though... maybe the rain had put out the fire of Blaine's rage. 

Fire.

"Oh, crap!" Kurt pulled away and ran into the kitchen, where he turned off the oven just as some dark smoke started to come out of it. 

Then he went back to the door and threw himself into Blaine's arms again. 

"Sorry. I had our dinner in the oven and I think it's spoiled."

"I'm so sorry, I ruined everything."

Kurt wrapped his arms more closely around Blaine, burying his face into his neck. He was getting his face wet, but he didn't care. Better that than the tears that fell for it just a few minutes ago. 

"We both did, I guess."

"We can fix it." Blaine said, finally pulling his head back and looking at Kurt's face, "we can fix us."

Kurt nodded, brushing a wet curl from Blaine's forehead.

"You came back, so yes. We can fix anything."

"I promised I would." Blaine said with a small smile, although his eyes were a storm of raging emotions.

Kurt sighed, and held out a hand to Blaine.

"Do you want to come in?" He asked with a pout, but his eyes sparkled with hope.

"Yes, I would love to come in."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are both incredibly sorry if we made you all upset about our boys. I'm afraid this needed to happen to get Blaine to open up some more xx please don't hate us, we hope you all continue reading this story xx


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since we want to finish this story before Christmas Eve, here's a surprise for you all: we're posting two chapters today!
> 
> Hope you enjoy them xx

Kurt and Blaine sat on the couch with a bit of space between them. 

When he opened the door, Kurt had needed that hug, and Blaine had lovingly accepted it because it was the only thing that could appease his fear. He thought Kurt wasn't going to want to see him, and Kurt thought Blaine was gone. Now, they knew they both wanted to fix it, and that was why they had to push aside the kisses and cuddles for the moment. The fight was still there, as was everything they had thrown at each other, so they had to focus on that. 

"I want to tell you that I called Dylan and Nate. I needed to vent and... well, you deserve to know." Kurt said, bitting his lips. He didn't want to hide anything from Blaine anymore, especially if it was about his friends.

Blaine nodded at that and gave him a little quirk of a smile.

"I don't-" He was interrupted by his phone ringing, and he shot an apologetic look to Kurt before getting it out of his pocket.

He turned it to Kurt to let him see that Nate was calling him before pressing the green button.

"Hey."

"What the hell is going on over there, babe? Kurt was on the phone crying and..." As Nate went off on a tangent loudly down the line, Blaine held the phone away from his ear a little bit, but it was so loud that Kurt could hear what Nate was saying.

"You'd best get over there and sort things out now, you can't-"

"Nate, I'm already here." Blaine cut him off, and there was a slight pause.

"Prove it."

Blaine rolled his eyes and put on the speaker, gesturing for Kurt to tell him he was there.

"Hey, Nate. He's here, you can stop scolding him now. But thank you."

"Great. I'll leave you to it then." 

Nate hung up before Blaine could say anything, and he hung his head a little as he placed his phone down on the table. He would have a real ear bashing from Nate and Dylan later.

"Erm...I don't know where to start." Blaine said nervously, "but first of all, I'm sorry I called you a bitch. I didn't mean it."

Kurt sighed, leaning against the back of the couch. 

"I know you didn't mean it, and I also know that I can be kind of a bitch when I get angry, but hearing you say it wasn't pleasant." He admitted.

"I'd imagine it wasn't, so I'm really sorry for that...and I'm also sorry for getting angry over all of it. I know you didn't mean to upset me, you were just trying to make me happy." Blaine turned to look at him and gave him another tight smile, "I know I've avoided conversation about my parents...but it's just that they aren't important to me anymore. They haven't been for years."

"I had no right to do what I did, although it's true that I was just trying to help. But from your reaction that day, when I said that I hoped to meet your parents one day, I must have imagined that the story was really complicated. And Brooke warned me... she was the one who gave me their contact information, but please don't be mad at her. She tried to make me change my mind." Kurt explained with a tense look in his face.

Blaine shook his head and took one of Kurt's hands.

"I'm not mad anymore...it doesn't matter. What matters is that we talk."

Kurt immediately squeezed Blaine's hand. That little touch made him feel calmer. 

"You don't have to tell me about them if you don't want to, I'm serious. If you think it's none of my business, I'll respect that, but... having someone who loves you by your side means that you can share the good things with that person, but also the bad ones. I'm in this to laugh with you and to dry your tears, don't forget it, and I'd really love to know every aspect of your life."

"I'll tell you. I think after tonight we have a lot of things to talk about..." Blaine replied with shining eyes, "but can I go get a towel and change first? I'm glad I left some clothes here, 'cause my underwear is wet."

He huffed out a little laugh as he made an uncomfortable face.

"Yeah, of course. Your drawer is the second from the right." Kurt told him with a shy smile.

"Okay, I'll be right back." 

Before Blaine got up, he leaned in to place a kiss on Kurt's cheek and then stood up to go into the bedroom to grab his clothes.

When Blaine got out of the living room, Kurt brought his hand to his cheek, caressing the little spot Blaine had just kissed. 

He had been so nervous when Blaine came into his apartment that he hadn't even thought about offering him a towel or worrying that his couch might be ruined if Blaine sat on it dripping. He was so eager to work things out with his boyfriend and not lose sight of him again that he had forgotten about the rest. Even his own clothes were wet after the hug, but not so much that it was uncomfortable.

Blaine came back a few minutes later with a little smile, happy to be in warm dry clothes again. He was wearing only a t-shirt and his underwear, but he had a towel around his neck because his hair was still damp.

He sat back down on the couch next to Kurt.

"What did you burn for our dinner? I'm so hungry I would eat anything." He made a light joke, smiling so that Kurt knew he was teasing him.

"Do you remember my mom's recipe, the one I cooked for you the first night you came to dinner? I left it half done this morning and I had to finish cooking it in the oven. But now it's inedible, so I'll have to improvise." Kurt grimaced before moving to the end of the couch. "Come over here, that part of the couch is soaked and your underwear is going to get wet... and not in an interesting way." He laughed a little.

"Now I feel even worse." Blaine said sadly as he moved over to the dry side, up against Kurt, "I need to apologize to your mother too."

Blaine looked up and put his hands together, mouthing 'sorry' to the air above him.

"She might not forgive me until we've talked, though."

Kurt took Blaine's hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it repeatedly. The way Blaine behaved every time he named his mom made Kurt feel grateful and fall in love with him a little more. 

"I think my mom is right. We need to talk." He said with a sigh.

Blaine leaned down to the table to get his phone, quickly typing in something and pulling up restaurants on the screen. He went back down to one he had used previously, and remade an order they had made before.

"If you don't mind…" He said as he still typed on his phone, "I'll order the same thing we had when we babysat the kids."

He finished out the order, input his credit card information and then placed his phone back on the table, turning his attention back to Kurt.

"You didn't have to." Kurt assured him. "I know you think everything that happened tonight is your fault, but I'm sure we both crossed the line a couple of times."

"Well, that's what we're here to talk about now." Blaine told him, "where do you want to start? I'll answer anything you wanna know."

Blaine had a serious look in his eyes, telling Kurt that he was ready to be honest and open.

"Why do you hate your parents?" Kurt asked directly.

"Tough questions first, huh?" Blaine teased a little before breathing in deeply, letting the air back out of his nose before frowning, "my mother and father were together for 13 years...and obviously when Brooke and I came along, we were a happy family."

He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Erm...even though me and Brooke always believed in soulmates, and finding our own when we were older...my mother and father weren't actually soulmates."

"Oh." Kurt exclaimed in surprise, but he didn't say more. He didn't want to interrupt Blaine as he began to tell his story.

"Yeah, it was a big shock to me too." Blaine said as he avoided Kurt's eyes while he spoke, "I spent the first 6 years of my life thinking that my parents were my heroes...I loved them so much."

He laughed a little nervously.

"But she left. She found her soulmate when I was 6 and left."

Kurt's eyes widened. Fuck, that was a lot worse than he thought. 

"She left you? I mean, I might understand that she divorced from your father if she had found the love of her life, but you and Brooke? What kind of mother does that?" He asked in horror.

"Yeah, watching how my sister is with her children, the amount of love she has for them and knowing what background we both come from…she's my hero now." Blaine said softly, "she was 11 years old, and she needed her mother...girls stuff and teenage years, you know? She also had a father that wasn't around much, and a little brother that cried all the time. She became a really strong woman, I'm proud of her for that."

Kurt did love Brooke, but now he felt a new respect and admiration for her. 

"She's wonderful." He stated, his fingers entwining with Blaine's. "And... your father? What did he do when your mother left? You said he wasn't around much."

Blaine shrugged.

"He threw himself into work, and when he was home, he would drown himself in the bottom of a bottle." He explained, "but I didn't blame him for that, it was easier to make him forget about my mother leaving. My nightmares started after she left, though. I would scream in the middle of the night for weeks, and to my father's credit, he was amazing back then. He took me to doctors and made me appointments with therapists."

Kurt shook his head. He was getting so much new information that he didn't know what to ask next. 

"So you went to therapy as a child? Did that help you?" Kurt asked with real interest. There were no judgement in his eyes, just love and concern.

"It did, I got a little better...it was all put down to depression and stress...but yeah, it helped."

"And what happened next, when you grew up? Did your relationship with your father get worse?"

"Not really...he was very devoted to us. He helped us with homework, he played with us, he cooked for us." Blaine said with a tight smile, "normal dad things."

He paused for a little bit, and after he took another breath, his frown was back.

"Brooke is 5 years older than me, so she was obviously leaving for college first. I was 13 when she graduated...and I was beginning to figure out my identity…my sexuality."

Kurt's hand that wasn't on Blaine's went to rest on his thigh. He needed to convey all the support he could. 

"He didn't accept that you were gay, did he?" He said in a whisper.

"No, to put it bluntly." Blaine gave Kurt a smile, placing a hand over the top of Kurt's, "he had never given us any indication that he wouldn't be open to that kind of thing...he was always alright when we walked past a gay couple while we were out. He never frowned, never looked disgusted or anything."

He gripped Kurt's fingers a little tighter.

"When I was 15, I came out to Brooke first."

Kurt just nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"She didn't care, I knew she wouldn't. She loved me, she was like my mother and sister all rolled into one." Blaine smiled softly, "she talked to me into telling my father. So I did."

He blew out a shaky breath.

"And...it was like a switch had been flipped. He became cold, distant...he would never look me in the eye. He became a stranger."

Kurt took a deep breath, holding back the urge to cry. Blaine had been through so much... it wasn't fair. 

He put his arm around Blaine's shoulders and pulled him close, not bearing the distance for another second.

"I know that some kids who come out to their parents get abused, or kicked out...they get hurt." Blaine said sadly, "I didn't get any of that...but I think that's what made it worse. He just ignored me...he never acknowledged my presence in the house anymore...like I was invisible. And I felt alone."

"There are things that hurt more than a punch, especially if they come from someone who should be the one to protect you from all that." Kurt said as his arms wrapped tightly around Blaine. "I'm so sorry. Now I feel like an idiot for contacting them. You had every right to be angry."

"It's okay." Blaine said softly as he rubbed one hand over Kurt's arm gently, "you didn't know about that. It's over now."

"You don't need them." Kurt said, trying to control the anger he felt towards those two people. "You have Brooke, Nate and Dylan, the kids... and me. It's their loss, not yours. They'll never know what it's like to have the wonderful man you are in their lives."

"Exactly. If you think I'm hiding anything from you, baby, I'm really not. You've already met my family." Blaine gave him a grin.

"Now I know." Kurt gave him a small smile in return. "I think I lost my mom so young that something inside me didn't let me understand why you couldn't fix things with yours. I'm sorry again, I should have asked you first. There is one thing I don't understand, though."

"What's that?" Blaine asked curiously.

"If your mother left all those years ago, how does Brooke have her number?"

Blaine laughed a little.

"Brooke is kind of an investigator herself. When she got engaged to Finn, she wanted to invite our mother to the wedding, even though she had no idea where she was. My father helped her, though; he had a friend who used to be a private detective. He found her, but she never answered the invitation. Brooke has the number to send her messages sometimes, especially about the kids...but I don't think she's ever really spoken to her." Blaine explained, "but it's up to her. I don't ever want to talk to her, but Brooke's heart is a little softer than mine."

"Your mother doesn't deserve you to be soft. It pisses me off that she listens to my voice message and may think that, for a moment, you want her at your party. I should call her again and say a few things to her, and send another email to your father and tell him that I'm not your friend, I'm your fucking soulmate, and if he has a problem with that, he can put his old ass on a plane and say it to my face!" Kurt ended up screaming and gasping for air.

Blaine sat back a little surprised at the fire and conviction in Kurt's voice and the rage in his eyes, and once Kurt took in a breath afterwards, he smiled widely.

"God, I love your possessive and protective side." He said with a soft voice, "and I love you."

"And I love you, so much. I'll always protect you, hope you know that." Kurt said, leaning in to kiss Blaine's temple. "Now, I think it's your turn. Ask me anything you want."

"Did you really think I was going to sabotage our relationship by making up some bullshit story of being upset about this?"

Kurt thought about it for a second.

"No, but I do think you feel insecure, and now I can understand it better. Some of the most important people in your life let you down, and it's hard for you to trust, it's hard for you to believe that you deserve something else, that you deserve pure and selfless love. I think you still believe that I'm too good for you, and it's hard for you to handle this situation." He blurted out with all the honesty he could.

"That's true sometimes, I guess. But I think there's some residual hurt from before we got together that still has a place inside me, you know?" Blaine said honestly too.

"I know. I made you believe that you weren't enough." Kurt didn't ask, just stated. "I hurt you when I left that night and when I had doubts about my feelings for you. Baby, I can't change the past, but I can try and convince you every day that I love you more than anything and that I'm not going anywhere."

Blaine nodded with his eyes shining.

"Another thing?"

"Of course, go ahead."

"I know that I have my own fears about this, because it's a new relationship and all." Blaine said as he stared at Kurt, not looking away for a moment, "but does it make you think that some day I might leave because I've never been in a relationship before?"

"No." Kurt answered without hesitation. "In fact, since we've been together, I never actually thought you could leave until tonight. What hurt me the most is that you really walked through that door, which I never thought you would." 

He looked away from Blaine for just a moment, before taking a deep breath and fixing his eyes on him again. 

"Using that you've never been in a relationship against you was a low blow, and I'm sorry. Sometimes I do that when I'm hurt, I try to build a wall around myself and hit back. I told you, it's true that I can be a bitch."

"I left because we were starting to take so many low blows. If I had stayed, we both would have said so many things we probably would have never come back from...in a way, I'm glad I left and got some perspective when I calmed down." Blaine gave him a smile, "but I'm not obsessed with your ex-boyfriend."

"Do you really feel like I compare you to him all the time?" Kurt asked with a frown.

"Yeah. Sometimes it's really subtle, but I can pick out certain looks of yours when you're thinking about your old relationship." Blaine said truthfully, not intending to hurt Kurt, but he needed to say it, "like the very first time I brought you flowers. Your eyes glazed over and I could see that you were struggling to comprehend why Jamie didn't ever bring you flowers."

He took Kurt's hand and squeezed his fingers gently before kissing the back of it.

"When we had our first date and you took me to the Mexican restaurant that Jamie never liked, I believe you were testing me. I think you wanted to see if I would react the same way or not."

"I get your point, but it's not what you think. I've never tested you to see if you were better than him, I knew that from day one." Kurt said with a sad smile. "All those moments you talk about were me trying to believe that you were real, that I could aim for something else, and getting that I had been an idiot for settling for three years. You're not the only one with insecurities, you know?" He looked down at their joined hands. "When you buy me flowers, or want to meet my family, or don't reject certain things during sex, I also wonder if you won't be too good for me."

"Alright, I get that. We both have shit to get over." Blaine replied lightly, "the fact that we both hold each other up higher than ourselves is something we need to work on. We have to think of ourselves as equal value in this. Because I know you love and respect me, and care about me...and I love, respect and care about you too. But I think we lost the love for ourselves in that."

"I've been working on it since I was bullied, but it's not easy. However, when you look at me and your eyes just sparkle, I think 'uh, I must be pretty awesome if I have that effect on him', so I guess being with you is great for my self-esteem." Kurt muttered, leaning down to rest his forehead on Blaine's for a few seconds before pulling away. "And what I said during the fight, about Jamie and you and your family issues... well, I guess that part is true. Jamie didn't have a good relationship with his family, but there's a difference... he judged me for spending time with mine, but you held my hand and went to pick up my parents at the airport with me."

"I love your family. Your parents are awesome." Blaine said with a grin, before they were both interrupted by a knock on the door, and Blaine stood up to go answer it, like it was the most natural thing in the world to answer Kurt's door.

He walked back to the living room with two bags of takeout Chinese, and sat back down next to Kurt.

"I think we deserve a break from talking for a while. Let's eat."

For a few minutes, they just ate in comfortable silence. They had gotten used to it and despite the stress of the fight, they both felt better now. 

Kurt watched Blaine pop a bite of rice into his mouth. He looked at his curls, which were still a bit wet, his face, concentrating on the food, his slightly worn blue t-shirt, his underwear... then he laughed. 

"Are you aware that you opened the door to the delivery man without pants?" He asked with a chuckle.

Blaine glanced at Kurt and almost laughed as he tried to swallow the food in his mouth. Afterwards, he did chuckle a little, though. 

"It was a delivery woman, and I know." Blaine said with a wiggle of his eyebrows, "she appreciated it, I'm sure."

Kurt rolled his eyes and took a few noodles with his chopsticks before popping them into his mouth. 

"Poor woman… I'm sure she's walking down the streets of New York sighing for your legs. She'll never be able to love anybody else."

"One thing about me is that I don't have any shame...I would walk down the street completely naked if it was legal. My body's in okay shape." Blaine shrugged.

"I like that about you." Kurt told him, tilting his head to look at him. "I'm more shy, I've always felt more embarrassment with my body."

Blaine grunted in disbelief. 

"I can tell you right now, honestly, that your body outshines mine any day." He told him, and as Kurt gave him a sceptical eyebrow raise, he continued, "I mean it. Your skin is smooth and soft, with zero blemishes...your musculature is so on point, just the mix between strong, and defined, and lithe. And your ass is so round and perfect, your legs are long...you're a walking wet dream, sweetheart."

Kurt's whole face blushed and he took a sip of his soda to try and hide it. 

"I appreciate it, and I love that you see me like this, but I've walked hand in hand with you, and I can assure you that it's not me that people turn to look at." He reached up to set an empty container on the table before looking back at Blaine.

"Now, what did I just say about loving yourself?" Blaine turned to him with a smile as he took up another container of noodles, "people probably try to work out what I have that attracted someone like you."

"I do love myself." Kurt said, though his voice didn't sound so confident. "And those people should know that what really attracted me is not seen at first glance."

"Are you telling me that I have a big cock?" Blaine asked with a teasing grin.

"Obviously." Kurt replied with a laugh. "Almost as big as your heart."

"Almost?" Blaine laughed with him, "not as big as yours, that's a fact."

"Are you talking about my cock or my heart? I'm lost right now." Kurt said, tossing one of the chopsticks at Blaine's arm.

"Both." Blaine threw the chopstick back at him.

Kurt giggled before heaving a sigh. His body was claiming for more closeness to Blaine, but it wasn't all settled between them yet. 

"Can I open the question round again?" He asked, turning the chopstick between his fingers.

"Sure, baby, fire away." Blaine smiled at him, one of those dopey loving smiles that he always did, even as he was filling his mouth with noodles.

"Have I ever really pushed you to do something you didn't want to do? Besides the damn party, which turned out to be the worst idea ever." Kurt looked at him with wide blue eyes.

Blaine sighed. 

"No...you inherently try with all your might not to push me into anything...and the party wasn't the worst idea ever. What was the worst idea was me not telling you about my parents before all of this blew up in our faces." Blaine explained, "I think I push myself into things...but I took that out on you. I'm sorry."

"Baby, I know I can be a bit bossy and that I like things to be done my way, but I told you when we talked about meeting my parents... I'm never gonna pressure you to do anything you don't want to do, and I trust you to tell me if you ever feel that way." Kurt asked him, placing his hand over Blaine's.

"It's not pressure from you...it's pressure I put on myself...to be the best boyfriend I can be." Blaine said with a smile, "I've never done this before and I'm always terrified of fucking it up."

"Then stop." Kurt asked, smiling fondly at him. "Stop pushing yourself so hard, it's not necessary. You love me, you make me feel protected, you look after me... I don't want anything else. We'll keep making mistakes sometimes, both of us, and the fight was an example of that. But we're not gonna fuck this up, I'm not gonna allow it. So please, relax and enjoy what we have."

"It might take me a little while to relax into this." Blaine said with a nod, "it's just...I've never felt this way about anyone before, I've never had this level of care about anybody else in my life...Brooke and the kids come close, but you're now at the very top of my heart, and I love it. But on the other end, it's scary."

"I've never felt like this before, either." Kurt took Blaine's hand and placed it on his chest, right over his heart. "Do you feel it? That little thing that beats so fast is all yours, and that terrifies me. You could hurt me more than anyone else, but you also make me so happy that everything I knew before I met you seems ridiculous. And I choose to focus on the good."

Blaine smiled as he looked down at his hand on Kurt's chest, rubbing the spot gently with his fingers before curling them into the fabric of his shirt. 

"I feel exactly the same. It's strange, though, isn't it?" Blaine asked curiously.

"Why is it strange?" Kurt's skin tingled as Blaine kept his hand on his chest.

"Think about it. We kind of hated each other at the start...and then we fucked...and now we have so much attraction and affection for each other that other people spend years to build. We're in this 'domestic bliss versus honeymoon phase' and I love you, but when you think about how fast it's gone, it's strange."

"Excuse me, did you hate me?" Kurt slapped Blaine on the arm, forcing him to pull away, though his eyes were shining with amusement. "I thought you were smug and that you fucked everything that moved, but I didn't hate you."

"I didn't fuck everything that moved...I have a little class, give me some credit." Blaine laughed as he fell back against the couch with a big grin, "maybe hate is a strong word...I kind of disliked you, because I thought you were uptight and judgemental."

"Okay, I can forgive you for that." Kurt laughed, but then he sighed and looked at Blaine intently. "And yes, I guess you're right, everything has happened so fast, but... I feel that deep down it had to be like this. It's as if something had been dormant for years, and after that night, that spark woke up and brought us together."

"It really was like a shock of electricity to the heart." Blaine agreed as he placed his hands across his stomach and relaxed into the couch.

"It's probably part of the soulmate bond." Kurt pondered. "I already had feelings for you before I felt it, I think it's obvious, but when it hit me, everything took on a new meaning, as if a shrill voice in my head was screaming 'idiot, you had it in front of you, how did you not realize before?'"

"You had just got out of a terrible relationship, I don't blame you." Blaine gave him a smile, "can I ask a question?"

"Of course, honey." Kurt replied, taking one more sip of his soda before putting the can down on the table.

"Will you cuddle with me?" 

Blaine had a soft look on his face when Kurt looked at him, a small smile and eyes that had turned into warm honey under the lights of the living room.

Kurt's response was to come close to Blaine so slowly, without breaking eye contact until he had no choice. Then he wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist tightly and pressed his face to his chest, inhaling when his nose settled over the hollow of Blaine's throat. His entire body relaxed at the contact.

One of Blaine's hands found its way gently into the back of Kurt's hair, fingers pushing through the strands there, as he placed the other one on the small of Kurt's back. He didn't say anything as Kurt settled into him, his chest slowly rising and falling even though his heart thudded a little faster at the contact.

"Blaine?" Kurt whispered as his cheek rubbed over the soft fabric of Blaine's shirt.

"Mm?"

"I would have hugged you just the same if you had used the key." Kurt's voice was soft but firm. "I would have never kicked you out of the apartment, I would never refuse to fix things with you. I'll always want you here with me."

"Even so, I wanted it to be your decision, not mine." Blaine replied as his fingers began to play with Kurt's hair.

"And I love you even more for that." Kurt lifted his head slightly so he could place a kiss on Blaine's neck. "But you'll stay tonight, right?"

"I want to, if you want me too."

"What do you think?" Kurt pulled away a bit and locked his gaze with Blaine's.

Blaine's face melted into a smile, and then he groaned as he put his head back with a frown. 

"Damn...I don't have my stuff."

"You have some spare boxers and a toothbrush, you don't need anything else for the weekend." Kurt smirked, hoping Blaine wanted to stay anyway.

Blaine raised an eyebrow and looked back at Kurt with a grin. 

"Cheeky fucker." He said, and Kurt laughed loudly, "but I had my bag all packed to bring with me since this morning...I was going to put it in the car when I came to yours for the date, and then I was going to ask you if I could stay...but everything else kind of happened..."

"Shhh, it's over now." Kurt let go of Blaine's waist and sat up straight next to him, but right away his hands were on his boyfriend again, one on his thigh and the other stroking his curls. "We've talked and we're fine now, don't give it any more thought. If you really need your things, we can stop by your place tomorrow morning and pick up your bag, but since we have no plans and it's hot and raining out there... we should stay here all weekend, and you can use whatever you need of mine."

"You sure?" Blaine asked with a small smile, "although you can always pack some stuff of yours and come stay with me."

"Of course I'm sure, anything of mine is yours. Except for some very expensive clothes... if you put them on, I would have to kill you." Kurt joked, and when Blaine chuckled, Kurt's heart skipped a beat. "But if you want us to go to your apartment, we can spend the night here and go there tomorrow. I don't care as long as we're together."

"Okay. I like having you in my apartment, in my kitchen...that I haven't looked at the same way since Sunday night...and in my bed." Blaine said with a smirk, his eyes shining with playfulness.

Kurt's hand on Blaine's thigh slid up slightly, caressing the smooth skin beneath it. 

"Good. Then tomorrow we'll drive to your apartment and we can, I don't know, spend some time in your bed, your kitchen... we might even try and pervert your shower too." He suggested, biting his lower lip.

Blaine looked down at Kurt's hand with another raised eyebrow before staring back up at Kurt with darkened eyes. 

"Are you planning on turning my apartment into a sex cave or something?" He asked as he leaned closer, placing his hand on top of Kurt's and sliding it a little higher.

"I just want to get acquainted with all the rooms in your place, but if you say it like that, it sounds... dirty." Kurt almost growled the last word, his eyes fixed on Blaine's lips as his hand reached the fabric of his boxers.

"How about we get acquainted with your living room first?" Blaine asked in a low voice, as his stomach clenched tightly at the feel of Kurt's fingers travelling slightly underneath the leg of his underwear.

His eyes were flicking between looking at Kurt's eyes and then his mouth, which was hanging open a little in arousal.

"Fine for me." Kurt gasped before closing the short distance between them and kissing him. 

He moaned against Blaine's lips. They hadn't kissed all day and it was exactly what Kurt needed. 

His lips moved hungrily over Blaine's as his fingers reached for Blaine's cock, which seemed to have reacted to their conversation.

Blaine hummed as he opened his mouth under Kurt's, wrapping his tongue around his boyfriend's as he moved his hips into Kurt's hand. 

His arms wrapped around Kurt's neck tightly and he fell sideways, pulling Kurt down on top of him along the couch.

Kurt moved until his entire body was glued to Blaine's. Only his hand was between them, still stroking Blaine at the same pace as they moved their tongues.

Blaine gasped into Kurt's mouth as his arms tightened around his shoulders, keeping Kurt close to him.

His hips were thrusting up as Kurt stroked over his heated skin, tiny pin pricks of pleasure rushing from his cock all the way up his spine, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

He pulled his mouth away as his breathing quickened, Kurt biting at his bottom lip gently as he moaned and writhed on top of him.

Kurt started nibbling along Blaine's jaw, first holding the soft skin between his teeth and then licking it with his tongue. 

"I love your face, do you know that?" He moaned, his fingers flexing a little harder on Blaine's cock, stroking the tip with his thumb each time his hand went up.

Blaine threw his head back and groaned in his throat, feeling as Kurt laughed darkly against his neck before licking a line down to his collarbone. His stomach clenched again as Kurt's hand paused around him to squeeze harder, and he bucked his hips up.

"Ugh...ah...I love you...just you...all of you." Blaine gasped out between moans that were getting higher and louder.

"I'm thinking that... I don't want to stain the couch." Kurt whispered before sucking a small mark on Blaine's collarbone. 

Then he pulled Blaine's shirt off and threw it away so he could slide his tongue down his chest, stopping to gently bite one of Blaine's nipples and then the other as his hand sped around him.

Blaine gasped out loud at the bites, and then hummed and placed his hands in Kurt's hair, carding his fingers through it as Kurt slid down his body, licking from his chest all the way down his abdomen, stopping every now and again to graze his teeth over every muscle on the way.

As Kurt spent some time pushing his tongue into Blaine's belly button, his hands grabbed the waistband of Blaine's boxers and pulled them down, giggling as Blaine kicked the air to get rid of them and they ended up hanging on the ceiling lamp. 

"Now you're redecorating my living room?" Kurt groaned in a low voice as his mouth moved closer to its target.

"More decorating to come if you don't put your mouth around me." Blaine answered breathily with a smirk.

"If you insist..." 

Kurt first ran his tongue down the entire length of Blaine's cock, and after lightly sucking on the tip, he sank it fully into his mouth.

"Ah, fuck!" Blaine moaned as both of his hands curled into Kurt's hair, clenching the strands in his fingers and just holding.

Kurt's mouth was hot and wet, and after what had happened earlier tonight, it was intense and very much needed.

Kurt placed his hands on Blaine's hips, his fingers digging lightly into the smooth skin as his head bobbed up and down. 

More confident since he had already done it before, Kurt felt bold enough for his tongue to lick and suck nonstop, trying different movements and studying Blaine's reaction to them.

"Agh, that's good." Blaine moaned out as his face scrunched up in pleasure, his mouth hanging open and his chest moving rapidly as he tried to control himself, but he was already getting close, "so...so good."

Kurt hummed over Blaine, which sent an electric current through Blaine's body. He pulled Blaine's cock almost completely out of his mouth, leaving only the tip inside. He circled it with his tongue and sucked, as his hands moved to squeeze Blaine's ass.

"Kurt! Kurt...I'm gonna come, baby..." Blaine breathed out as he felt the coil of tension in his stomach wind tighter and tighter, and with a few more flicks of Kurt's tongue over the tip, the tension snapped and Blaine screamed.

Kurt pressed his lips even tighter around Blaine to get all his come in his mouth. He swallowed every drop with a satisfied smile, and wiped Blaine's cock with his tongue before pulling away and resting his chin on Blaine's abdomen, looking at him.

Blaine smiled as he caught his breath, just laying and basking in the afterglow of his orgasm for a moment, before his eyes sprang open and he grabbed Kurt's shoulders to pull him up, smashing their mouths back together. 

His tongue pushed through his lips eagerly, tasting parts of himself on Kurt's tongue and then moaning as he turned them over so that Kurt was underneath him on the couch instead. 

As he pulled away, Kurt was about to say something, but Blaine placed a hand over his mouth and smirked down at him, while his other hand was busy opening the zipper of Kurt's jeans quickly.

"That was amazing, baby, but I really need to return the favor, and don't tell me to stop because I really can't." He said in a low hushed voice, his tone rough from screaming, and he felt Kurt's entire body shiver under the weight of his gaze.

Kurt bit Blaine's fingers playfully until he pulled his hand away from his mouth.

"I wasn't going to stop you..." Kurt said, though his voice came out so deep that he had to clear his throat. "I just wanted to tell you that I may not last long, because you coming in my mouth is so awesome that I'm already close."

Blaine grinned like a predator as he pulled Kurt's jeans and underwear down his thighs roughly. 

"That's okay, darling, really."

He swallowed Kurt's cock whole as he leaned down, all the way to the base.

"Shit, baby." Kurt squirmed under Blaine, his fingers tugging on his hair.

Blaine moaned around him as he felt the pull on his hair, and moved back up quickly, sucking quite hard as he moved back down. His tongue wrapped around most of the underside of Kurt's cock as he began to bob his head faster.

Kurt restrained himself from thrusting his hips until touching Blaine's throat. He wasn't going to last long and he wanted to let Blaine do it at his own pace.

Blaine moved his hands gently over Kurt's hips, squeezing around them a little, and then slid them around to the back, coming to rest on Kurt's bare ass. He used them to make Kurt's hips move into him as he bobbed down, pushing Kurt's cock into the opening of his throat.

The muscles in his throat were tightening and loosening around it as he swallowed, making his boyfriend gasp above him.

"Ah... ah... jeez, baby... I'm almost... almost there." Kurt gasped as he noticed some sweat drops running down his chest, under his shirt. "Your mouth is a fucking wonder... I can't..."

Blaine hummed and the vibrations ran through Kurt's cock, but he still knew one last trick to get his boyfriend to fall over the edge. He lightly scraped his teeth against his skin softly and waited.

The sound that Kurt made as he came would be forever registered in Blaine's mind. Kurt arched his back as the orgasm swept through him, buring his head into the couch cushion and gasping for air.

Blaine swallowed around him, not pulling off until the very last drops had disappeared down his throat. He pulled off slowly, releasing Kurt's now wilting erection with a tiny popping sound. He grinned as he placed little kisses against the skin around Kurt's pelvic bone and then over one hip as he opened Kurt's shirt and made a path back up to his boyfriend's chest. 

"You're so hot..." Blaine whispered out as he licked across one nipple and sucked on it lightly before sitting on Kurt's thighs and resting his forehead on Kurt's.

Kurt quickly wrapped his arms around Blaine, pulling him down until their chests collided. 

"So this is what they call make-up sex... we'll have to argue more often." He laughed, his lips searching for Blaine's even though he was still breathing heavily.

"It was incredible, but I really don't want to fight anymore. I love you too much." Blaine whispered to him before placing a few gentle kisses against his jaw first and then putting his lips onto Kurt's.

They kissed slowly, savoring each other for a while. When Blaine pulled away to breathe, Kurt didn't give him too much space, wrapping his arms around his shoulders more tightly. 

"Don't move, please. I don't want to fight anymore, either; I just need this... I just need you. I love you, baby." He felt suddenly vulnerable, even though he knew he didn't have to hide that from Blaine.

"I'm not going anywhere; don't worry, angel." 

Blaine leaned back down and buried his face against Kurt's neck, breathing with him and snuggling against him.

After a few minutes, Kurt turned his face to gently kiss Blaine's curls, until his eyes looked up and he chuckled. 

"That lamp is designer, I bought it in a fit of temporary insanity and I spent almost half of my salary on it... and now your underwear is hanging from it. I hope you have no doubt that I love you after letting that happen."

"No doubt at all." Blaine said with a grin as he moved back to pull the underwear down from the lamp, and then moved to put them back on, as Kurt pulled his underwear back up but took his jeans and shirt completely off.

There was no point in clothes anymore; if Blaine was walking around in his boxers for the rest of the night, then Kurt would too.

He pulled Blaine back to him until his boyfriend was totally curled up on his body, and he began to stroke Blaine's back as he threw his head back, his eyes closed and a relaxed smile on his lips. 

"So the plan for this weekend is to do this over and over again in your apartment, right? I think I'll only put some toiletries and a pair of boxer shorts in my bag."

Blaine laughed as he rested his cheek against Kurt's chest, just underneath his chin.

"You might need a pair of pants to go home on Sunday, but other than that, we won't be needing clothes. Not even shirts." He said as he closed his own eyes with a smile.

Kurt placed his hand on the back of Blaine's neck, and when Blaine raised his head slightly, Kurt cupped his cheeks with his hands until he was looking at his face.

"Promise me something." He asked with a small voice.

"Anything."

"I hate fighting with you, but I plan on being together for the rest of our lives, so I don't think this will be the last time that happens. I need you to promise me that every night that starts like tonight will end up just like this, with you between my arms. If one of us needs a little time to cool down, that's fine, but we'll always come back to each other, like you said you would… like you did tonight."

"Whatever I promise you, Kurt, I'll keep it. And I promise to always fix things just like this." Blaine gave him a soft smile, eyes shining with so much emotion as he stared into Kurt's eyes.

"Thank you. I promise you the same." Kurt kissed the tip of Blaine's nose. "Let's go to bed?"

"Yeah. I'm full, I'm in love, I had the best orgasm of my life...and now I'm tired." Blaine said with a grin, and Kurt laughed as he pushed him up, making them both stand.

"I wasn't thinking of sleeping, but sometimes I forget that you're older than me and have less stamina." Kurt giggled as he led Blaine into the bedroom holding his hand.

"Har har, Hummel, hardy har har har." Blaine said sarcastically as he pulled his hand from Kurt's, placing both of them on his hips from behind and kissing the back of Kurt's neck before pushing him onto the bed with a laugh. "That's for the old comment."

"Did you just push me onto the bed? Now you'll get it, baby." Kurt sat up until he could grab Blaine by the waist and pull him onto the bed beside him. He quickly straddled him and began to tickle him.

Blaine burst out laughing, his face scrunched up and his mouth open in a wide smile, making him look younger than his years. It was a look that Kurt loved to see on his boyfriend.

Blaine started tickling him back after giving up on trying to get away, focusing on his task now and trying to stifle his own laughter.

"No, no, Blaine, stop!" Kurt screeched, kicking his feet as he cried with laughter.

They played like two little kids until the laughter led them to something else, and they ended up making love, soft and sweet. 

By midnight, they fell asleep hugging each other, Kurt cuddled against Blaine's chest and Blaine wrapping his arms tightly around him, and their last thought was that love could be difficult sometimes, but it was always worth it.


	34. Chapter 34

Blaine walked into the house, a huge bright white brick house with a big yard. He loved that place; he had always wanted to live in a big home like that. And at 36 years old, he was finally there. He smiled once he closed the door, and took a deep breath. The air inside smelled like freshly baked cookies, and he heard laughter from the kitchen, giddy child laughter followed by a deeper one that he knew well. 

He walked towards the kitchen doorway when, all of a sudden, something collided with his left leg and yelled "Daddy!" 

He looked down with a smile. A little girl around 6 years old was clinging to his pant leg, giggling as she looked up at him. Her eyes were bright blue and her hair fell over her shoulders in chestnut colored soft waves, and he laughed as he bent down to pick her up. 

"Hey, baby. How are you?" He asked as he settled her on his hip, finally dropping his bag at his feet to wrap both arms around her little legs. 

"I'm good! We're making cookies." 

"That's great. They smell good." He cuddled her close as he carried her with him to the kitchen. 

As soon as he walked into the huge light blue and silver colored kitchen, he smiled widely at the sight in front of him. Near to the big window at the side of the kitchen was his husband, his lithe form turned to the side, holding a small boy with dark curly hair in his arms as they both mixed a bowl of batter on the counter. 

He felt warmth in his chest as Kurt turned to look at him, bringing their son up closer to his chest and then turning around completely to greet Blaine at the door.

Blaine's eyes fell on his young son's face, those big brown eyes lit with excitement at the sight of his other daddy. He held out his arms towards him as Kurt moved them closer. Blaine laughed as he pulled one arm around his son and then cuddled both his children to him with a smile. 

Kurt leaned in towards him and pecked a small kiss against his lips. 

"Welcome home, honey." He said in a happy lilting voice that made Blaine's legs turn to jelly. 

"It's so good to be home." He replied as Kurt wrapped his arms around him and their children and hugged them all tightly. 

Blaine woke up with a gasp, eyes flying open as he sat up. It was dark there again, and his heartbeat was deafening in his own ears. He put a hand to his chest and tried to calm himself down for a few seconds, before he felt a warm hand cover his own. 

"Blaine, sweetheart, are you alright?" Came the sound of his boyfriend's voice next to him, and Blaine turned to gaze into worried blue eyes that he could just about see in the darkened room.

Kurt stroked Blaine's hand under his. It must have been early morning as the only light in the room was provided by the moon. He had been sound asleep until Blaine had suddenly awakened beneath him, and now he was filled with concern as he watched him, waiting for some response.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm okay." Blaine said as a smile came over his face.

"Was it another nightmare?" Kurt asked with a frown, fearful that their fight from the night before had upset Blaine to that point.

"Actually..." Blaine paused to laugh lightly, "no, it wasn't."

Blaine's laugh caught Kurt so off guard that he reached out to turn on the nightstand lamp to make sure he was hearing well. 

When he saw the smile on Blaine's face, he relaxed a bit. 

"Okay... then what was it?" He asked, a little confused.

"Us. In 10 years." Blaine laughed again, "we had a huge house...and I was home from work...you were baking cookies..."

He had such awe on his face as he retold it.

"We had kids."

Kurt's face lit up as he listened to him, noticing how his heart raced just at the thought. 

"Really? Kids? How many?" He squeezed Blaine's hand, which was still on his chest.

"Two...a girl who looked a little older than Anna, and a boy about Jack's age." Blaine explained with a soft smile, "she looked like you...and he looked like me."

Kurt bit his lip. The emotion in Blaine's voice was contagious. 

"You hadn't told me that you had the ability to see the future." He muttered with bright eyes.

"I'm not sure if it's going to be just like that, but...I think having that dream has made me feel like my life is moving forward." Blaine said softly, turning his hand over on his chest and holding Kurt's, "I thought that, after what we talked last night, I would be having another nightmare, but this really surprised me."

"It's the first thing I thought when I felt you wake up, but I'm glad that this time it was a good dream." 

Kurt's free hand came up to cup Blaine's cheek. 

"And of course your life is moving forward. But I can't believe you dreamed that. I would love to get into your head and see it too. A kid who looks like you... it doesn't sound bad at all." He said with a smile, trying to picture it.

"Our daughter looked even cuter, with long hair and blue eyes." Blaine laughed as he leaned against Kurt's touch, closing his eyes.

"I want that. In 10 years. I want exactly that." Kurt whispered, stroking Blaine's cheekbone with his thumb.

"You do?" Blaine asked, his eyes shining in the low lamp light, "two kids...a big house...married?"

"Were we married? Oh, that's the information I was missing." Kurt giggled before staring at Blaine with a smile that seemed to split his face in two. "I do, I totally do."

Blaine leaned forward and sealed their lips together for a moment, humming against Kurt's lips, but then he pulled away with a nervous grin. 

"Just so we're clear, I'm not proposing right now." Blaine said semi-seriously.

"Aren't you? Oh, wow... it's a shame. I've always wanted to be proposed naked in the middle of the night after just a month together. You just broke my fantasy." Kurt chuckled, nuzzling Blaine's cheek.

"Oh, shut up." Blaine laughed as he wrapped his arms around Kurt and hugged him close. "If I were going to propose, I would do it a lot better than this."

"I hope so, because beautiful dreams, and an adorable face, and that tangled curly hair aren't going to guarantee you anything." Kurt teased, burying his face into Blaine's neck.

"No?" Blaine pulled back and raised an eyebrow at Kurt's teasing face, "maybe this adorable face and curly hair can make you change your mind." He growled playfully and tackled Kurt onto the bed, sealing their lips together even as Kurt laughed.

******

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Kurt asked as the water ran down his face. 

"It's just that the wet look suits you." Blaine smirked at him, brushing away a lock of hair that had stuck to his forehead. 

"Oh, yeah? It's the one I usually wear in the shower." Kurt laughed, sliding his hands down Blaine's back. 

"Actually, I was thinking of asking you to put your hands somewhere else." Blaine whispered with a low voice. 

"Oh god, you're obsessed." Kurt teased as he started moving his hands forward, caressing Blaine's hips, but then Blaine grabbed his wrists. 

"My hair. I want you to wash my hair." Blaine said, and Kurt could swear there was a little pleading in his voice, like he was asking for something special. 

He didn't hesitate, happy that Blaine asked him for one of his favorite things in the world, and after leaning in to lightly kiss his lips, he took the shampoo bottle, put some in his hand and his fingers quickly got lost in Blaine's wet curls. 

His boyfriend started moaning immediately, and Kurt smirked as his... 

"What the hell are you thinking about? You have a weird face." Camille said, sitting next to Kurt at the dining room table and bringing him back to reality. 

"Nothing. I've had a great weekend and I was just remembering some of my favorite moments. Thanks for interrupting me, by the way." Kurt grunted, but he smiled at his friend as he gulped down a bite of his salad. 

"Oops, sorry I interrupted your filthy memories with Blaine. Some of us aren't that lucky." She snapped. 

"It wasn't filthy at all... but I'm sorry your story with the waiter didn't work out." Kurt said to her honestly. 

"Don't worry. It was fun while it lasted. All I need is to go out and distract myself, and the pretty eyes' birthday party is going to be perfect for that." Camille smiled, leaning across the table. "You haven't told me anything else since Thursday, what have you planned?" 

Kurt snorted. The mere mention of the party reminded him of the fight. He turned his head, and seeing Blaine laughing with his co-workers made him feel better. 

"The truth is, I don't know if there's going to be a party. Blaine and I kind of had an argument about it and I no longer know if we're having it or not." 

Kurt thought about it. Blaine had assured him that the party hadn't been a bad idea and that he should have told him about his parents earlier, but did that mean he wanted it to happen? Kurt had his doubts. He needed to talk to Blaine. 

"You know what? I'll talk to him and tell you something about it." He decided then. 

"Okay, honey. If we have to trade it for a night out any other day, that's fine too." 

Kurt laughed and they continued eating while discussing things about work. Kurt put the party thing in a corner of his head... he would go to Blaine's apartment later and find out for sure.

He didn't see Blaine for the rest of the day, and after promising Camille at the office door as he left that he would let her know about the party, he got in his car. He smiled to himself as he drove over to Blaine's apartment.

As he turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open, his face took on a wider smile. Blaine wasn't expecting him to be there, and Kurt could hear that his boyfriend was in the shower already. He could see Blaine's bag and shoes had been haphazardly placed by the couch, so he picked them up and put the shoes by the door and hung the bag on the hook. 

He took off his own shoes, feeling comfortable enough in Blaine's apartment to go barefoot, and walked towards the kitchen. He looked through all of the cupboards and cabinets, pulling ingredients out and placing them on the counter. He would make dinner for them. 

He made himself at home in the kitchen. Blaine had everything placed around just like Kurt did at home, so it was really like his own space. 

As Kurt was placing some chicken in egg yolk and then rolling it in a small batter he had made, he heard the shower shut. He placed the chicken pieces on a pan, washed his hands off and covered the chicken with some oil before he put it in the oven. 

He leaned back against the side of the counter as he heard Blaine walking towards the kitchen. Kurt smirked as his boyfriend rounded the corner without any clothes on at all, rubbing his head with a towel. He didn't see Kurt standing there for a moment, but as he removed the towel from his head, his eyes widened and a big smile stretched his lips.

"Kurt, what are you doing here?" Blaine exclaimed in excitement, still standing there naked. 

Kurt laughed lightly. 

"You gave me your key, am I not allowed?" He retorted with a small grin, and Blaine stepped towards him. 

"Of course! I'm happy you're here." Blaine laughed as he wrapped his arms around Kurt. 

"Well, I'm happy with the view." Kurt teased as he placed one hand on Blaine's bare ass, feeling his boyfriend's chest move in a silent laugh.

Blaine pulled away and gave Kurt a wink before turning in a circle with his arms out, giving Kurt a full view of all of him. 

"You can look all you like, sweetheart."

Kurt let his eyes roam every inch of Blaine's naked body as he bit his lower lip. Then he shook his head with a chuckle.

"So gorgeous. Now, could you put on some clothes? I want to talk to you while dinner is cooking, but I can't focus on that right now."

Blaine laughed as he left the kitchen to go and put some shorts on, but when he came back, he was still shirtless. He gave Kurt a smirk and leaned against the counter.

"So what did you want to talk about?" He asked curiously as he crossed his arms.

Kurt snorted and got close to Blaine, looking into his face to avoid distractions.

"I need to ask you something, and I want you to be totally honest. There's no wrong answer here, okay?" He said, taking Blaine's hands in his.

"Okay...now you're worrying me." Blaine said with a small nervous laugh.

Kurt leaned in to lightly kiss Blaine's lips as a way to assure him that everything was fine.

"The thing is, during lunch time, Camille asked me about the party on Saturday, and I told her that I didn't know if we're still having it and that I wanted to talk to you about it."

Before Blaine could say anything, Kurt spoke again.

"We don't have to do it, okay? I haven't even prepared anything yet. If you want us to spend the whole day in your bed, I'm in. It's your birthday, you choose."

Blaine smiled at him and brought his hands up to cup Kurt's face lightly, gently running his thumbs over his cheeks.

"Kurt, I told you I didn't mind a small party. It was just my parents that I got upset about. But spending time with the guys and you, and my sister's family...yeah, I want a party." He told him in a gentle tone, before placing a kiss on the tip of Kurt's nose.

"If you've already guessed all the guests, it's not funny." Kurt joked, but he got serious again. "Look, baby, I don't want you to feel like you're agreeing to this for me. I... I don't want to push you into anything." He admitted.

"I love that you're still thinking about my feelings, but believe me, I'm fine with all my important people there. I swear, Kurt, it's okay." He insisted as he kept his hands on Kurt's face.

A relieved smile appeared on Kurt's face. He immediately wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck and rested his forehead on his.

"Then I'll make sure you have the best little party in the world. I just want you to be happy." He said in a small voice.

"I'm happy, baby. You make me incredibly happy." He responded as he closed his eyes and took his hands off of Kurt's face, placing his arms around his waist instead.

"Can I confess something? I loved to come here, use my key and start making dinner for us while you were in the shower. It was so... natural." Kurt whispered, his fingers caressing Blaine's back.

"And so domestic." Blaine smirked back at him.

"And that's okay, isn't it?" Kurt asked, pulling back a little to look at Blaine with wide eyes.

"Of course it's okay." Blaine laughed and made eye contact a little more seriously, "I love that we're so comfortable with each other that it feels so natural to us. I love being with you, at yours, at mine. Anywhere."

"Me too." Kurt told him, tightening the hug a bit more. "I love you so much".

"I love you too." Blaine hugged him tighter and then pulled back to peck his lips, "so what's for dinner?"

"I'm making some chicken. We have to go grocery shopping together, though; you're missing a lot of basics in the kitchen." Kurt teased, giving Blaine a sweet slap in his ass.

"Because I've been having my dinners with you for the last week and a half." Blaine chuckled.

"That's no excuse." Kurt pulled away from Blaine so he could open one of the cabinets. "Salt and pepper, honey? That's it? You know there are more spices, right?"

"Didn't you listen to Dylan when he told you I can't cook?" Blaine rolled his eyes and giggled a little.

"But I also heard you when you said you wanted to learn." Kurt laughed, and then he had an idea. "We have a date on Wednesday, right?"

"We do. I want to show you Jupiter." Blaine grinned.

"Good. You can show me Jupiter and I can show you how to make a meal with more than three ingredients. I'll bring some of my mom's recipes and we'll make it together." Kurt exclaimed, swaying in excitement.

"Okay. Just don't break up with me if I fuck up one of your mother's recipes." Blaine laughed.

Kurt giggled before walking back to Blaine, placing his hands on his waist and stroking the smooth skin there.

"I'll never break up with you. And you must be crazy if you think I'd let you ruin one of her recipes."

"I didn't think you would." Blaine smiled as he leaned against him and gave him a real kiss, sliding his lips along Kurt's gently and pulling him closer so that their bodies aligned perfectly.

Kurt lost himself in the kiss, humming against Blaine's lips as his hands gripped his hips tighter.

It was just a simple kiss, innocent in itself, but still full of love and passion. Everything that Blaine felt at that moment was in that kiss. He tilted his head to part his lips a little, only pushing the very tip of his tongue against Kurt's lips, not really looking to make it any more than it was. And as Kurt's tongue ran along his, he moaned a little and then pulled back with a smile.

"I swear the kisses just get better and better." He said with a happy glint in his eyes as he stared into Kurt's.

Kurt sighed as he looked at Blaine devoutly. 

"If we could only do one thing, I think I'd choose kissing."

"I'd choose just staring at your eyes for the rest of my life." Blaine added with a cheesy smile, "but kissing is my close second."

Kurt blushed quickly, hiding his face in the crook of Blaine's neck for a second. 

"I love your eyes too." He said when he looked back at him. "They always let me know what you're thinking."

When Blaine went in for another kiss, Kurt's hand came up to cover his lips lightly. At Blaine's confused look, Kurt smirked and then stepped away to finish off dinner. 

Blaine rolled his eyes fondly as he watched Kurt check the chicken in the oven and then mix some things together on the counter. 

It was nice being domestic together, and being loving and caring. Kurt was his soulmate, there was literally nobody else Blaine wanted to spend more time with. He would ask Kurt to move in with him if it wasn't too soon, but he knew that when a couple of months past, he would make that leap. 

They were practically living in one another's apartments, anyway. In Blaine's head, they were already living together, just spending time apart in their own places. It was refreshing being cared for, and still very new...but he loved it. 

He smiled as he watched Kurt move around his kitchen; it was wonderful to see. Kurt felt so comfortable now, and he never apologized for doing anything anymore. It was an amazing change from the man he had first met, all tense and shy. 

"Are you going to help me, or just stand there watching me?" Came the quip from Kurt that made Blaine laugh again before moving forward and waiting for instructions on what to do. 

Yeah, they would be together forever. Blaine just knew.

******

"Now you have to mix it up a bit more."

When Kurt saw Blaine's concerned expression, he decided to cheer him up a little.

"You're doing fine, honey."

But the truth was that he wasn't. When Kurt went through his mother's recipe books, he thought puff pastry cinnamon rolls with maple icing would be a simple thing to start with. But he wasn't counting on that Blaine didn't seem to know how to handle the dough, and he was digging his fingers too far into it, giving it more heat than such a delicate pastry actually needed.

However, Kurt couldn't help but smile at the image. Blaine was wearing light blue jeans and a tight black t-shirt, but Kurt had persuaded him to put on a blue cupcake-patterned apron that he had bought for him; he couldn't convince him to wear the blue matching chef's hat, though.

"So what comes next after this?" Blaine said as he tried to pry some of the dough from his fingers, but only succeeding in getting more onto them.

"Well, the idea would be for you to fold the dough and let it rest, but if it sticks to your fingers all the time, it's going to be difficult." Kurt explained with a sympathetic smile.

Blaine made a face at his hands. 

"How do I get it to not stick?" He asked, completely and utterly lost and confused.

Kurt walked over to him and wrapped his arms around his waist from behind. 

"I think you must have made a little mistake with the quantities. Do you want us to repeat the dough? You don't have to make it yourself, Mr. Stubborn, I can help." He said, resting his chin on Blaine's shoulder.

"So...I didn't do it right?" Blaine asked as he turned his defeated looking eyes to Kurt.

"Baby, the only thing you had made until today was pancake batter, eggs with bacon, salads, and a cheesecake; it's normal that it doesn't turn out right the first time. I've brought plenty of ingredients, that's fine." Kurt gave him a peck on his cheek, which was adorably stained with flour.

Blaine was still staring defeated down at the bowl in his grasp while Kurt gathered more ingredients.

"You remind me of myself when I helped my mom while she cooked." Kurt laughed as he carefully put in the correct amount of each ingredient. "I used to get frustrated because I wanted to do the same as her, but I couldn't. Sorry to tell you, but you're not going to learn to cook in a day."

"I know..." Blaine sighed, "but I'm usually a better learner than this."

"Cooking takes a lot of patience, honey." Kurt handed him the bowl. "Here. Start mixing again. This time it will come out better, you'll see."

"Okay." 

Blaine started mixing lightly with instructions from Kurt about not putting his hands into the dough too far. 

After another 10 minutes, he agreed that it was a little better; the dough wasn't sticking to his fingers as much as last time, and at Kurt's encouraging words, he was smiling a little as he worked.

"See? I knew you could do it!" Kurt exclaimed excitedly.

"You're a good teacher." Blaine replied as Kurt made him take his fingers out and cover the dough for a little while. 

He turned for the sink to wash his hands off.

"I know I am. What other teacher would have given you such a cool apron?" Kurt leaned against the kitchen table, glaring at Blaine with a smirk.

"I agreed to the apron without the teasing." Blaine smirked back.

"What teasing? I don't know what you're talking about." Kurt tried to pretend, but the mischievous glint in his eyes betrayed him.

Blaine just poked Kurt's side as he came back to stand next to him. 

"Alright, if you say so. What do we do now?"

"We have to let the dough rest for a while. In the meantime, you can prepare the glaze. But first, you're missing the main ingredient." Kurt pursed his lips, hoping Blaine would get the hint.

"A kiss for the teacher? What a favorite fantasy of mine." Blaine teased as he winked at Kurt, who blushed a little but still held his lips out. 

Blaine leaned in to kiss him, grabbing onto his waist tightly.

Kurt lingered a bit into the kiss before he pulled away, looking at Blaine with a raised eyebrow. 

"First the mechanic's overall, now the teacher... I'm finding out you have a lot of fantasies." He laughed as he played with Blaine's curls.

"Only fantasies that include you." Blaine replied and moved in for another kiss.

Kurt responded to the kiss eagerly, slightly sinking his fingertips into Blaine's scalp, as he knew his boyfriend liked it.

Blaine hummed into his mouth a little, and tightened his grip on Kurt's waist.

"Blaine... the glaze..." Kurt managed to say between kisses, but he didn't try to pull him apart.

"One...second." Blaine pulled at him until Kurt melted against him, pushing his lips apart with his tongue a little and licking into his mouth. He swallowed the moan that sprang from Kurt's mouth, and then moaned himself.

Kurt's hands trailed down Blaine's back until he reached the hem of his t-shirt, and he immediately slipped his hands under the fabric to make contact with the soft skin there as he sucked Blaine's tongue into his mouth.

Blaine groaned one more time before he slowed the kiss and then pulled back a little. As their lips disconnected, he smiled and moved to place a kiss against Kurt's cheek. 

"We should probably get on with the glaze now." He said against Kurt's face, smiling into the skin, "besides, we should be doing this well for your mother."

"You're right." Kurt muttered, still with his eyes closed. "It's this damn kitchen... and this table..." He laughed when he realized that he had been leaning against it as they kissed.

Blaine laughed. 

"Well, if you like the table so much, maybe we should save that for later." Blaine grinned at him with a devilish look in his eyes.

"The one I really like is you." Kurt winked at him and walked over to the counter to give Blaine the ingredients he needed now. "But speaking of charming kitchens, I spoke to Brooke and she offered her house for your party, so we'll have it there."

"That's fine." Blaine said as he stepped beside him, ready for his instructions again.

"You need to mix together the powdered sugar, maple extract, salt and milk." Kurt told him before giving him a big smile. "Oh, and Nate called me too... Dylan got the day off and they can make it!"

"Awesome!" Blaine exclaimed with a wider smile as he did what Kurt told him with the mixture, "you know, they haven't met Brooke before, so I think it's going to be a fun night."

"Really?" Kurt asked, watching how Blaine worked. "Dylan and Anna in the same room... I don't know if the world is ready for so much energy."

Blaine laughed heartily. 

"Yeah, I think we'll all have our hands full then." Blaine said with a wide grin, like the smile was stuck on his lips, "I just hope Brooke likes them. Dylan and Nate are family to me."

"Who could not like them? They're two of the best people I've ever met." Kurt said honestly. "Slowly, honey, you don't need to stir so much, you almost have it."

Blaine slowed his stirring a little as he shrugged.

"I don't know. I had planned on staying in Virginia with them before all that stuff happened, so there was never any worry over them meeting my sister. Now I'm here...and happy to be here, by the way." He added quickly, throwing his boyfriend a smile, "I just want them to get along. You, Nate, Dylan, Brooke and the kids are all important to me."

"I know what you're thinking." Kurt said, briefly stroking Blaine's cheek with his fingers. "Brooke didn't approve of your old lifestyle and you're afraid she might reject them for it. But your sister is smart and has a good heart. If they love you, she'll love them."

"I hope you're right."

For the next few minutes, they were cooking in silence. Blaine finished the glaze and started working with the puff pastry again, rolling and cutting it as Kurt told him. When he had it ready, he added the melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and put it in the oven.

Kurt smiled at him as Blaine stared at his work through the oven door, taking off his apron.

"Look who carried out the recipe." Kurt told him with a proud gesture on his face.

"Well, you helped a lot." Blaine turned to give him a smile, pride in his eyes, "I hope I get better and better at it so that I can make you a meal one day."

"You'll get there, I know." Kurt took Blaine's hand and led him to sit at the table. "It's the first time I've cooked one of my mom's recipes with someone. My dad always runs away from the kitchen, just like Finn, and Carole has never wanted to cross that line, I think. I guess you had to be the first one."

"I'm honored, my love. I really am." He said sincerely as he leaned against Kurt's side.

Kurt put his arm around Blaine's shoulders. 

"From what you've said before about Brooke and the guys, I know you still doubt yourself, but... my mom would have adored you."

"If she was anything like you, I would have loved her too." Blaine replied with a smile.

Kurt kissed Blaine's forehead tenderly, and suppressed a sigh when he thought about his mom, even though he really believed what he had said. His mom would certainly have seen Blaine's pure heart. 

"I'm so excited to spend this first birthday with you. Is it silly?" He asked.

"No. It'll be the very first birthday that I celebrate since I was 6. I'm just glad it's with you."

"The first of many." Kurt kissed Blaine's hair before sitting up to look into his eyes. "I brought your gift today because I couldn't wait until Saturday. Do you want me to give it to you now, or after dinner and seeing Jupiter?"

Kurt's eyes were sparkling, and he was grinning from ear to ear.

Blaine widened his eyes a little. 

"You got me a present?" He asked, totally astonished.

"Baby, it's your birthday, what did you think?" Kurt asked with a smile, but then he felt a sting in his chest at the thought that Blaine wouldn't have had too many gifts all these years if he was so surprised.

"It's just…after I made it a rule with Nate and Dyl not to celebrate my birthday, gifts were also not welcomed. I haven't had a present since I was a kid; Brooke gave me a diary when I was 7." Blaine explained without any regret in it, and then gave Kurt a small smile, "thank you for getting me something."

Kurt cupped Blaine's face with his hands and leaned in to gently kiss his lips. Then he got up and went to the living room, where he took an envelope out of his bag. 

He ran back to the kitchen and handed it to Blaine as he sat down next to him. 

"Maybe you think that I'm so generous for giving you a gift, but I assure you that this one is also for me."

On the front of the envelope, it read:

'To my soulmate. I love you, Kurt.' 

Blaine melted at that and turned to Kurt to give him a curious eyebrow raise, but Kurt just insisted that he open it, so he did.

As he pulled out the papers inside, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

"Kurt...what-" Blaine paused as he held in his hand two plane tickets, a hotel reservation and two tickets to Disney World for the next month, "I can't believe it...baby, this is-"

His eyes started to water as he looked between Kurt's face and the tickets with a wide smile splitting his face.

He didn't exactly mean to tackle his boyfriend onto the kitchen floor, but they both tumbled down anyway and laughed together before Blaine placed his lips hungrily on Kurt's.

Kurt parted his lips at the warm pressure from Blaine's. He could feel that his boyfriend needed this, so he just put his arms around Blaine's back and brought him as much close as he could.

Blaine moved until he was straddling Kurt, his legs either side of Kurt's thighs and his hands next to his head as they kissed. He kept his hips away, but he put all of his emotion into the kiss, pushing his tongue into Kurt's mouth a little greedily.

Kurt groaned at the intensity of the kiss. He was lying on the floor over flour scraps, but he only could think about giving back to Blaine all the love he was feeling in that moment.

Blaine moaned and thrust his tongue deeply into Kurt's mouth once more before slowly pulling it back, and then he opened his lips so that they disconnected a little from Kurt's.

"Thank you...for being you, and for loving me, and for everything." He whispered against Kurt's lips.

"So you liked the gift." Kurt took a shaky breath as he stared at Blaine with a small smile on his swollen lips.

"I really liked the gift...but it's not about that. It's about you. I love you."

"And I love you, so much. I know you've been in the magazine for a short time and you're not gonna have a holiday this summer, so I thought about stealing you for a couple of days and filling your life with a little more magic."

"You fill it with magic just being you." 

Blaine said it with a soft smile and eyes that shone wetly with the color of dark honey. His face was relaxed and depicted such devotion that Kurt lost his breath at the seriousness of his statement for a second.

"I'm never going to let you go, you know that, right?" Kurt said, his voice filled with emotion as his heart pounded in his chest.

Blaine's soft smile widened just a little. 

"I'm counting on it." Blaine replied while placing his lips back onto Kurt's, but before they could get back to their kisses, the oven timer pinged behind them.

"The oven demands you, chef." Kurt laughed, nuzzling Blaine's cheek.

"I personally believe it's your mother telling me to get my ass off of the floor to save her pastry from getting burned." Blaine laughed as he stood up and then offered a hand down to Kurt.

Kurt took Blaine's hand and stood up next to him. 

"I think that if she was looking just when you made me roll to the ground and kissed me as if the world ended tonight, she would have given us her blessing and looked the other way. The puff pastry is secondary."

Blaine chuckled as he pulled on a glove and opened the oven door to pull out the pastry buns. They smelled absolutely amazing, and as Blaine put them down to cool on the side, he had a proud smile and glistening eyes as he looked at them.

"I made that...wow."

"You did, baby. You're capable of achieving anything you set your mind to, you just need to believe in yourself. And when you don't, I'll be there to remind you." Kurt closed his eyes to let himself be surrounded by the smell. "It smells like home."

They spent the next hour eating and discussing the party, and then making plans for Disney, which had them both so excited. Before long, though, Blaine pulled them away from the kitchen as it got darker outside.

He chuckled at Kurt's surprised look as he pushed his bedroom door open. 

"I hope this isn't too much, but I wanted us to be comfortable while we watched the skies." Blaine explained as he waited for Kurt to walk ahead of him.

Kurt looked around with his mouth open. The whole room was lit only by candles, and Blaine had set up the telescope by the window and put a small love seat right behind it, on which was a neatly folded blanket.

"Blaine, this is..." He shook his head, because there were no words for that. He looked at Blaine with wide eyes. "You're amazing."

Blaine blushed a little and scratched his neck lightly. 

"Thanks, baby. I just wanted it to be special."

Kurt moved closer until he could wrap his arms around Blaine's neck and kiss him. He slid his lips over Blaine's for a minute before pulling away.

"You make every moment I spend with you special." He whispered against Blaine's lips, before taking his hand. "Come on, show me Jupiter."

"Okay." Blaine whispered and led Kurt over to the chair, pushing him gently to sit down and then wrapping the blanket around his legs before sitting next to him. He gave him a small smile before looking through the telescope and trying to find what he was looking for.

Once he had found it, he moved back and then patted his legs so that Kurt would move to sit on his lap.

Kurt immediately shifted until he was comfortably seated on Blaine's lap and leaned over to look through the telescope.

"Oh my god, baby, it's so beautiful! Why is it so bright? How is it possible that it's that close?" He started asking questions, nervous and excited like a child.

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist, leaning in close to whisper into his ear.

"It only happens every 12 years. It's great, isn't it?" He said as he pulled him tighter against his chest.

Kurt placed his arms over Blaine's, trying to keep him as close as possible. There was an emotion in the atmosphere that was almost tangible, and Kurt believed he could burst into tears at any moment, simply out of happiness.

"Seeing this makes me feel incredibly small. I'm sure there are so many planets out there that we don't know about... perhaps there are even other forms of life... and yet I've been lucky enough to meet you." He turned away from the telescope to look at Blaine.

Blaine's smile was sunny and warm, the candlelight bouncing off of his face like a warm glow. 

"Luck didn't come into it...it was fate that brought us together." Blaine moved one of his hands to Kurt's neck, his thumb softly rubbing underneath his jaw, "I believe we met exactly when we needed each other the most."

Kurt leaned into the touch and closed his eyes to enjoy the feeling even more. When he opened them, he looked through the telescope again before turning fully to Blaine.

"It takes a lot of effort to look at Jupiter, spectacular as it is, when I have you right here." He brought his hand up to Blaine's face. "Have you ever noticed how the light reflects in your eyes? Or how they become just a thin line when you laugh? Or the masculine yet soft shape of your jaw?" He muttered as he ran his finger over it. "You say we met when we needed each other the most, and you may be right, but if I'm honest, I've needed you all my life."

"I wish we had met 10 years ago, when I really wanted my soulmate...when I was 17, I went out of my way to avoid all talk of it and started sleeping around. It's something I regret now, I should have waited...but I can't change it." Blaine explained as he closed his eyes, bringing his hand up to cup Kurt's, keeping it on his face, "I would have been a different person then…open and trusting, wearing silly bowties."

Blaine smiled to himself as he turned to place a kiss on the palm of Kurt's hand.

"I have a hard time picturing you with a bowtie, but I think you would be really fancy with one... I'm writing it down for the future." Kurt smirked, losing himself for the umpteenth time in the depths of Blaine's eyes. "I know we can't change the past, and I don't want you to keep punishing yourself for it. Yeah, if I had met you when I was 16, I might have walked down the halls of high school with my head high and your hand in mine, and I would have stood up to everyone that made my life a hell. But now we're here, my love. Nothing else matters."

"I know." Blaine placed many small kisses against Kurt's palm again, moving up slowly to the inside of his wrist, "I'm so thankful for you now...I had no idea that love could feel as good as it does, that our connection would be so strong...I feel warm all the time." He whispered against the skin, "I love you, Kurt, I love you so much."

"Well, you've taught me what love is, Blaine, so you also deserve some of the credit here. I love you so much, a little more every day." Kurt sighed at Blaine's caresses on his skin. "Can I spend the night here? I know we have to work tomorrow, but I don't want to leave."

"Of course you can…as if I would ever say 'no' to spend more time with you." Blaine smiled against the skin of Kurt's wrist, looking up at him with shining eyes. 

"You said that Jupiter can only be seen like this every 12 years, right? Maybe we should mark the date on the calendar, because right now I can't stop looking at you." Kurt said with a pout.

He knew that this was special to Blaine, that he loved to share his astronomy knowledge with him, but he felt completely intoxicated with devotion for Blaine as he glanced at that room full of candles that lit up the face of the man he loved.

"Okay. 12 years from now, and then 2 years after that it's Saturn's turn." Blaine said with a smile as he stared at Kurt. "We'll probably be married by then."

"Of course we'll be married. You won't be able to say 'no' to me when I propose." Kurt laughed, though he actually melted inside just thinking about marrying Blaine.

"Oh, so you want to propose? What if I want to?" Blaine teased with a grin.

"Are you going to turn this into a competition?" Kurt chuckled as he snuggled a little closer to Blaine. "Since you told me about your dream, I'm clear about it. I'm not saying that I'm going to do it now or in a few months, but I know we'll get there... and we'll see who does it first."

"I didn't want to compete, but you just turned it into a competition." Blaine laughed as he wrapped his arms around Kurt, kissing the top of his head and nuzzling his nose into his hair.

"I didn't!" Kurt exclaimed, pretending to be offended. "I just said that I intended to do it and that you couldn't resist it... but if you want to see how my proposal is much more grandiose than yours, be my guest."

"And again!" Blaine laughed loudly, "you're trying to goad me into competing with you."

Kurt giggled and lifted his face so he could kiss Blaine's neck. 

"When are you going to learn that I always win, Anderson?"

"We'll see about that, Hummel!" Blaine said as he turned his head and captured Kurt's lips quickly, wrapping his arms tighter around his back.

Kurt moved until he was straddling Blaine and placed his hands on the back of his neck to deepen the kiss. 

"How cheesy is it that we fight over who will propose to the other?" He asked before pressing his lips back to Blaine's.

Blaine hummed against Kurt, pulling him closer to him for a few seconds and then pulled back slightly. 

"Very cheesy." He whispered before diving back in for a deeper and more lustful kind of kiss, full of small nips and quick slides of his tongue.

"Can you see... the people who live... in the building across the street... when they look out the window?" Kurt managed to ask between kisses, even though Blaine didn't let his tongue go and his mind was beginning to get clouded with arousal.

"What does it matter?" Blaine mumbled quickly as he pulled Kurt back to kiss him.

"Because if you can see them, they could be watching us right now." Kurt tried to explain, but he quickly moved his mouth to Blaine's neck and bit it lightly. "And I don't think it looks like we're watching the stars anymore..."

"Yeah, I don't care..." Blaine gasped out as he turned his head to the side, hands moving down from Kurt's back to squeeze his ass, and then pulling him closer on his lap.

"My goodness, Blaine..." Kurt groaned as he licked his neck, his hips starting to grind down against Blaine.

"Ah, fuck, baby..." Blaine moaned out as their hips connected together, "I need you...like right now."

"I need you too." 

One of Kurt's hands left the back of Blaine's neck to sneak between them and cover the bulge of Blaine's pants, making him wince. 

"Here? Are you sure?" Kurt gasped.

"Yeah, right here..." Blaine moaned out loud, "I'll take my pants off, you can go and get the lube."

Kurt let out a laugh that sounded more like a moan as he got up and went to get the lube and condoms. When he already had the lube in hand, he thought better of it and returned to Blaine, who was waiting for him with his pants on the floor. 

"That was fast." Kurt smirked and straddled him again. "I want to ask you a question..."

"A question? Now?" Blaine raised an eyebrow as he leaned back against the chair.

"Yeah, now." Kurt caught Blaine's lips again for a quick, hard kiss. "Have you ever had sex without a condom with one of your... hookups? I mean, apart from that bastard from Virginia."

"No, never." Blaine sat up a little, "and I always made sure I got tested every 3 months."

"Okay." 

Kurt felt suddenly nervous, but he didn't let that change his mind. 

"Because I was thinking that maybe we could... forget about condoms." He leaned in until his voice was a whisper in Blaine's ear. "I want to feel you completely, and… I want you to come inside me."

Blaine's eyes widened as they darkened, but then a nervous look came over his face. 

"I've never done that before, are you sure it's okay?" He asked in a whisper, "have you done it before?"

"No, I haven't." Kurt said before giggling nervously. "I just thought... maybe it's a stupid idea." 

Blaine flung himself forward and grabbed Kurt's wrists a little roughly, but not too much, just enough to make Kurt stop and look at him. 

"It's not a stupid idea. I'm just nervous, baby. I would love to come inside you." He said with a smile and bright eyes, his lust blown pupils focusing on Kurt's face.

"I'm nervous too, but I've never wanted someone so much and I feel like trying things with you. I want it all with you." Kurt told him honestly, stroking Blaine's chest over his shirt.

"Yeah, okay." Blaine said with a grin and then leaned in close so that he could whisper, "take your jeans off."

Kurt stood up again, and without losing eye contact with Blaine, he unbuttoned his black jeans and pulled them down with some effort. 

"I should stop wearing pants this tight to come to your place." Kurt grinned before sitting over Blaine in his t-shirt and boxers only.

"As soon as you walk in the door, you should just strip; it would make it easier for me." Blaine grinned again before pulling Kurt's neck towards him and kissing him again. 

He made sure that he had full control this time and held Kurt to him with every movement he made. He would give his love a good time with another first of theirs. 

He gripped Kurt's waist as his tongue slid along his, and moved him up, making sure that Kurt was steady before pulling his underwear down his thighs. He focused on Kurt's boxers then, tugging at the waistband. He had to move left and right to let Kurt pull each leg free, and then he threw the garment over his shoulder. 

Kurt groaned into his mouth, and Blaine moved one hand under his ass and made sure that when he squeezed the flesh in his hand, his fingertips brushed over Kurt's hole.

"Oh, baby..." Kurt moaned. "I really need to..." 

He cut himself off to grab the hem of Blaine's t-shirt and tug it until Blaine let him go for a second to raise his arms and make it easier for him. Kurt tossed the shirt to the floor, careful not to throw it over any candle. He didn't want a fire to interrupt them.

"You can go on now, I just wanted this." He leaned over Blaine again, sucking on little marks on his neck as his thumbs circled over Blaine's nipples.

"God...you set my whole body on fire..." Blaine said as he tilted his head to the side for Kurt's mouth to move over the skin more easily, putting both of his hands back where they were, one hand holding Kurt open as the other hand's fingers were stroking and massaging around the middle again. 

Kurt pushed his hips back against Blaine's hands, and after a few more seconds, Blaine took the lube in his hands and spread some over his fingers before they continued stroking over the taught circle of skin. 

"I can't wait to be inside you. Do you want me to make love to you or fuck you?" He asked with a slight whimper as Kurt's teeth nipped at his collarbone.

"I think the correct answer is... both." Kurt kept moving his hips towards Blaine's fingers as he licked his Adam's apple. "I want you to make love to me... while you fuck me."

Blaine gasped as Kurt's tongue made paths on his throat, and pushed two fingers inside his boyfriend gently.

Kurt's entire body twisted, and his muscles tightened around Blaine's fingers until he moved to press his lips on his boyfriend's. That simple gesture helped him relax. 

"Move them, baby. Move them and kiss me."

Blaine wrapped his other arm around Kurt's waist while his fingers pushed inside him deeper, and he literally encased Kurt's mouth with his own, nipping lightly at Kurt's bottom lip until he gasped and opened his mouth. Blaine thrust his tongue inside and moved it deep enough that he could feel the rumble of Kurt's moan against it. 

His fingers moved in and out at a steady pace as Kurt's body became a little looser and easier to drive them inside, and he picked up the speed of his hand with his mouth.

Kurt only pulled away from Blaine's mouth for a few seconds, long enough to catch his breath before devouring his boyfriend's lips again. He felt the heat filling every part of his body, and Blaine was the only one who could calm him, like an oasis in the middle of the desert. 

His hips sped up in time with Blaine's fingers, silently begging for more.

Blaine groaned into Kurt's mouth, sucking Kurt's tongue back into his own mouth as he pressed another finger inside his body. He spread his fingers apart gently, twisting them around left and right, feeling the muscles relaxing as he hit that special spot inside Kurt. 

He grinned into the kiss as he brushed past Kurt's prostate again, feeling the muscles around his fingers shivering slightly as Kurt moved against him and whined into his mouth.

"Baby, I need you now." Kurt asked in a desperate groan, one of his hands gripping Blaine's shoulder tightly and the other stroking his curls.

"Okay, okay." Blaine whispered out as he removed his fingers slowly, moaning quietly at the feel of it, and grabbed the lube. He used a generous amount on himself, hissing at the cold sensation a little before looking back at Kurt. "Are you ready?" He asked breathlessly in anticipation as he moved Kurt up on his lap.

Kurt nodded with a small smile on his lips, his chest going up and down fast under his t-shirt.

Blaine's fingers gripped his hips, but then he paused and moved to the hem of Kurt's t-shirt, lifting it up and off first. 

He smiled as he pulled Kurt into a gentle kiss again while he lined him up with his erection and pressed him down.

Kurt broke the kiss when he threw his head back and moaned loudly. It wasn't the first time Blaine pushed inside him, obviously, but this time he felt him even closer without the condom between them.

"Oh my-" Blaine choked off into a loud gasp as he pushed inside him, "so smooth...tight...hot. I didn't know it could be like this."

"Jeez..." Kurt whispered as his body adjusted to the intrusion, staring at Blaine with wide eyes filled with something that Blaine could only define as a mixture of lust and love. "Can I move? I want... I want to ride you."

"Yeah, move...ride me, baby." Blaine gripped his hips desperately.

Kurt placed his arms around Blaine's shoulders for stability, and very slowly, he pushed his hips up until Blaine was almost completely out of him, and then pushed them down. 

"Fuck!" He screamed as he repeated the movement, twisting his hips a little this time, seeking more depth.

"Gah! Ah! Kurt...jeez...ungh, you feel so fucking good." Blaine couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth. His face felt hot and his insides were on fire, "you look so hot...god...so gorgeous and all mine!"

"All yours, forever." Kurt gasped as his hips picked up a bit more speed. 

The feeling of having Blaine completely undone under his body was enough to make Kurt feel almost to the edge. 

"This is... so damn amazing... I love how you fill me completely, shit." 

Kurt twisted his hips again as he pushed down, leaning forward slightly, thereby getting Blaine to reach his prostate, making him squeak and dig his fingers into Blaine's back a bit.

"Let me do it, darling." Blaine gasped out at the change of angle. The feel of Kurt completely encasing him felt too good and he was already close to losing it, so he grabbed Kurt's hips and helped him move up and down as he thrust his hips up into him.

The thrusts became harder and faster as Kurt clung to him, Blaine's fingertips digging into his hips a little.

"Yeah... yeah, ah, babe... uh." Kurt babbled, losing his ability to speak or think. He just wanted more of this, to feel more of Blaine, to merge with him. 

Something began to burn inside him, in his low stomach, causing his hips to move uncontrollably. 

"Blaine... I'm going to come, love."

"That's it, baby, come on." Blaine encouraged him as Kurt's thighs shook. 

Blaine brought his lips to Kurt's neck and nipped, sucked and licked over the side of it as his hips continuing to move up against him.

Kurt felt like the heat in his stomach exploded, and when an intense spark ran through his spine, he came yelling Blaine's name, falling totally limp and sweaty on him after that.

"Fuck..." Blaine whimpered over Kurt's shoulder as his boyfriend's body clamped down around him in spasms, and after another few shallow thrusts, he yelled out as he came inside him. 

As the aftershocks made his body shiver, he released the grip he had on Kurt's hips, moving his hands up across his sweaty back. He made soothing strokes with his hands as he caught his breath, Kurt doing the same on top of him.

"I can feel it... it's so weird. But a good weird." Kurt whispered, his lips lightly brushing Blaine's neck.

"Hmm." Blaine hummed his response, still lost in the feeling.

Kurt pulled away a bit and smirked at Blaine, cupping his face with his hands. 

"Are you okay? Still able to form words?" He asked as he kept enjoying his own afterglow.

"Not yet..." Blaine mumbled around a small smile.

"It's okay. We can stay here, without talking." Kurt brought his lips to Blaine's neck, licking a few drops of sweat there and leaving little kisses in his wake.

Blaine hummed again, unintelligible words following after as he wrapped his arms a little tighter around Kurt's back.

Kurt rested his head on Blaine's shoulder and closed his eyes, and didn't move until a few minutes later, when he started to feel uncomfortable. 

"You're still inside me, honey." He murmured, looking at his own chest and stomach, both stained with his come, and thinking that at some point he would have to get up and clean himself.

"Sorry, baby...it feels nice, though." Blaine opened one eye and smirked at him.

Kurt laughed, and couldn't resist kissing the tip of Blaine's nose, who seemed more satisfied than ever in his life. 

"In that case, we'll stay in this position and I'll keep showing my ass to your whole neighbourhood." He stated with a chuckle.

Blaine picked up the blanket that was beside them and wrapped it around them both, before tilting his hips back and disconnecting himself from his boyfriend with a slight groan. 

"You can move now, it must be sticky." He teased Kurt.

Kurt flopped down next to Blaine, and closed his eyes at the sensation of Blaine's come slipping from inside him. 

"Okay, it's... I don't know how to describe it, but I like it. I think your love seat is going to end up a bit stained, though."

"I'll wash it." Blaine laughed before turning and snuggling against his boyfriend's side, "can I ask a question?"

"Of course." Kurt nodded as he wrapped his arms around Blaine, drawing him closer.

"Can we swap positions next time?"

"So you want to feel me inside you this way?" Kurt looked at him with a smile.

"Well, yeah..." Blaine said with a grin, before turning his face up to look into Kurt's eyes, "I want to see what it's like walking around with a part of you inside me for as long as possible."

Kurt held back a gasp at Blaine's words and the way he was looking at him. No, it wasn't possible that he already wanted him again. Or it was? 

"When you say 'next time', do you mean another day or...?" He left the last part of the question hanging in the air as his fingers played over Blaine's bare chest.

"Are you up for round two, beautiful?" Blaine smiled at him as he moved his fingertips softly up one of Kurt's bare thighs underneath the blanket, his pupils blowing out wide again.

"I think so." Kurt took Blaine's hand and brought it up to his half-hard erection, which made Blaine laugh. "Why don't you wait for me in bed? I need to go to the bathroom for a second, but when I get back... I'll want all of you again."

Kurt went to the bathroom quickly, and after cleaning himself up and freshening up a bit, he looked at himself in the mirror and grinned. He was dishevelled, his face was glowing, his eyes seemed bluer than ever and his smile seemed to be stitched onto his face. He loved this feeling of freedom and fullness. 

He returned to the bedroom. The candles were blown out, and his smile widened even more when he found Blaine gloriously naked, lying on his back on the bed, waiting for him. 

And Kurt didn't keep him waiting. They immediately got lost in each other. There were only kisses, caresses, lips that wanted to taste as much skin as possible and fingers squeezing muscles. 

Blaine gave a surprised cry when Kurt rolled him over until his chest was pressing against the mattress, and in that position, he took his time to stretch him, until Blaine's desperate screams made Kurt push inside him, sinking his cock slowly but deeply into him. 

Then a new round of thrusts began, and all that could be heard in that bedroom were sighs, groans and the sound of skin sliding over skin. 

Blaine was the first to come, completely overwhelmed by the sensations, and Kurt reached his orgasm right after him. 

Blaine asked Kurt to stay just like that, inside him and lying on his back for a while, and Kurt didn't complain until exhaustion got the better of him, and after a couple of yawns, he moved until he was curled up next to Blaine. 

When Blaine rolled over on the mattress and turned his face to tell Kurt that maybe they should change the sheets, he realized that his boyfriend was already asleep.

He smiled down at him softly, watching Kurt breathing deeply as he lay against the bed. His hair was a mess and his face was red, but his skin was shining, almost glowing in the dim light in the room. The slight sheen of sweat on his skin was already cooling. 

Blaine thought he was beautiful like this, relaxed and at ease, sleeping soundly. He felt a small buzz inside as Kurt's come inside him start to drip down his thigh, and he almost giggled at the sensation. 

That was different, but not unwelcome. 

He reached out to stroke a hand over Kurt's head, sweeping the dishevelled hair back, and then leaned down to place a kiss on his forehead. He placed his nose in Kurt's hair and smelled it before settling down beside him and pulling the covers over both of them. 

They would be sticky and messy the next day, but Blaine knew that Kurt would never regret that night. And Blaine himself had loved the feeling. They were really connected now, as close as two people could be. 

Blaine fell asleep with a smile on his face, resting his head on Kurt's chest.


	35. Chapter 35

Thursday morning was a rush of giggles between them. Kurt and Blaine shared a shower, washing each other thoroughly among small touches and kisses. They had breakfast together in comfortable silence, and Kurt took the sweater he had given to Blaine before to wear to work that day. 

Camille was excited when Kurt told her that the party was still on for Saturday, and then gave her the address. She hugged Blaine when she saw him, and he threw a confused look over her shoulder at Kurt in the lunch room, who just shrugged at him with a smile.

Friday was different. Kurt and Blaine could have lunch together; their work started on next month's magazine spread, so there wasn't very much to do at the beginning and they had a lot more time to do other things.

They had decided they wouldn't spend Friday night together, though, because Blaine had Nate and Dylan coming down Saturday morning about 11am, and Kurt had to go to Brooke and Finn's place early and make sure everything was ready for the party.

Saturday morning came, and Blaine was still waiting for Nate and Dylan to arrive when he got a text from Kurt.

\- Good morning, baby. Happy birthday! I can't wait to see you later. I'm heading over to Finn and Brooke's now to start decorating. I miss you and I love you xx -

It made him smile. Well, texts from Kurt always made him smile. 

At 11:25, Nate and Dylan turned up, and they spent a good few hours catching up and having lunch together. Nate and Dylan had both turned up with presents for Blaine's birthday this time. Per Kurt's orders, they said.

Blaine just chuckled lightly and gave them both a hug before taking their gifts.

Nate's gift was a game console, the latest version of the one they used to have in college. He told Blaine that Kurt had grunted when he told him, but that he was sure Blaine would appreciate it. Dylan gave him a huge cookbook to keep practicing, and as a joint gift, a photo album that, at that moment, only had two pictures: one with the four of them that they took last time Nate and Dylan were in New York, and one of Kurt and Blaine when they went to see the stars on their second date and that Kurt had emailed them.

Blaine went from laughing to crying with excitement in a matter of minutes, and he launched himself on top of his friends again, giving them nonstop hugs and kisses.

At 6:30pm, they left Blaine's apartment and got in the car, heading to the party, and at 6:58pm, a couple of minutes before the appointed time, they got there.

When Blaine was about to ring the bell, Dylan stopped him.

"Kurt asked us to put this on you when we got here." He said, pulling out a scarf to blindfold him.

Blaine rolled his eyes with a fond smile on his lips and turned, closing his eyes so that Dylan could tie the blindfold on his head.

"You'll have to stop me from smashing my face on the wall."

"Kurt would kill us if you got hurt. He actually threatened us." Dylan laughed.

When he made sure Blaine didn't see anything, he turned to Nate.

"Knock on the door, sweetheart, I'm in charge of guiding the birthday guy."

Nate laughed lightly as he knocked on the door, turning to pat Blaine's back a little before the door opened.

Kurt's smiling face appeared followed by Finn, who was looking at the guys a little confused.

"Welcome, gentlemen." Kurt said in his best deep voice, making Blaine smile. "Please led Mr. Anderson to the living room, my brother Finn will show you where it is."

Kurt leaned towards Nate as Dylan gently pushed Blaine into the house.

"I'll introduce you properly in a few minutes, but for now play along." He asked.

"Of course." Nate responded, and followed after Finn as Dylan guided Blaine inside by his shoulders.

When they got to the living room, Kurt gestured for Nate, Dylan, and Finn to join Brooke, Camille and the kids in the front part as he moved behind Blaine.

"Well, sir, are you ready for the best party ever?" He whispered to Blaine with a giggle.

"I'm so ready, baby." Blaine whispered back with a grin.

Kurt unknotted the scarf, and as Blaine opened his eyes in surprise, he kissed him on the cheek and smiled. 

"Happy birthday, honey."

Blaine saw that the entire living room was filled with colorful balloons and streamers, and a large banner with the words 'Happy Birthday, Blaine' decorated the front wall.

"Oh, Kurt... thanks." He smiled back at him, but before he could return the kiss, he was tackled by two little gremlins. 

"Happy birthday, Uncle Blaine!" They both shouted together as they wrapped around his legs. 

He laughed as he bent down to take them in his arms and give them sound kisses. 

"Thank you, little rugrats!"

Just a few seconds later, Brooke was there, looking at him with the same sweetness with which she looked at her kids. 

"You can't imagine how glad I am that Kurt convinced you to do this. Happy birthday, baby bro." Brooke gave him a hug, wrapping her arms around Anna and Jack too. 

Then the girl turned to look at Blaine. 

"Uncle Kurt put all the streamers and balloons, and we helped him. Do you like it?" She asked, placing her little hands on her uncle's face.

"I love it." Blaine told her, "you guys did a very good job." 

Nate stepped towards him when his sister pulled away, and eyed the two kids in his friend's arms a little nervously. 

Blaine put them both back down on the floor as he wrapped his arms around his best friend. 

"Thanks again for being here." 

"We wouldn't be anywhere else." Dylan said as he appeared and hugged Blaine too. 

When Blaine let them go, it was Camille's turn, and she grabbed him with a big smile.

"Happy birthday, handsome. And thanks for inviting me, your sister and the kids are adorable." She lowered her voice a little before continuing, "although a certain boyfriend of yours can be a dictator when he wants to. He loves giving orders."

"Don't I know it." He said back, also in a low voice, and she laughed loudly.

As soon as Camille pulled away, Finn walked over to Blaine and put him in one of his bear hugs. Blaine laughed as he pressed his face to Finn's shoulder. 

"Finn, you're going to break him." Kurt protested beside him, but he was just eager to have his turn with Blaine.

"Sorry. Happy birthday, man." Finn said with a sheepish grin as he pulled back. 

"Thanks, Finn." 

Blaine found himself staring at Kurt after that, and waiting with open arms and a smile.

Kurt almost ran up to him and put his arms around his neck, pressing his chest against Blaine's. 

"I finally have a moment with the star of the day, I feel honored." 

Before Blaine could reply, they both felt someone tug at the leg of their pants. 

"Uncle Blaine, Uncle Kurt, are you boyfriends already?" Anna asked, looking up at them with a big smile.

Blaine looked at Kurt with a grin and gave him a small shrug. It was up to Kurt if he wanted to tell them.

Kurt crouched down until he was face to face with Anna. 

"Yes, princess, Uncle Blaine and I are boyfriends and we love each other so much. Is that okay with you?" He asked with a nervous smile. 

"Yes, yes, yes!" Anna yelled, jumping on top of Kurt, who picked up her niece and threw her into the air a couple of times, making her laugh.

Blaine pulled Kurt back to him while he still had Anna in his arms, and planted a kiss on Kurt's lips gently. 

"This is the best birthday ever." He said to both of them with a smile. 

Nate and Dylan were talking to Camille over by the couch, and Kurt gave Blaine a nudge in their direction as he pulled away. 

Then Blaine went over to grab his sister's hand and pulled her with him towards Nate and Dylan. 

"Sis, I want to introduce you properly to Nate and Dylan, my best friends from Virginia. Guys, this is my sister, Brooke." He said to all of them, smiling at Camille politely too. 

Nate held out a hand for Brooke to shake, which she did with a smile. 

"Nice to finally meet you, Brooke."

"Nice to meet you too." Brooke answered, shaking Dylan's hand as well, who seemed to think it wasn't time for one of his hugs. "I'm pleasantly surprised you guys came, Blaine has kept you in hiding for years." She was still smiling, but there was something in her voice that Blaine detected.

"I wasn't hiding them. They just never came up in conversation." Blaine laughed, trying to relieve some of the tension in his sister as Kurt came up next to him with Finn.

"Yeah, the truth is that much of your life in Virginia seems to never come up in conversation." Brooke said pointedly, and Kurt knew it was his time to intervene. 

"Guys, this big man is my brother Finn. Finn, these are Nate and Dylan, Blaine's friends and, luckily for me, mine too." 

Kurt looked at Finn, aware that he knew Brooke better than anyone and could notice some tightness there too.

Finn stepped forward with a friendly smile and shook Nate's hand and then Dylan's too. 

"Good of you guys to stop by. When Kurt said there were some more people coming, I assumed it was from work, but you're quite welcome here." He said as he could tell that his wife was beginning to judge them, like she usually did with everyone, "hey, why don't you two follow me? I'll grab you some drinks." 

Nate grinned. 

"Okay, thanks, man." Nate and Dylan gave Brooke, Blaine and Kurt a smile before following after Finn, who was talking to them and asking questions in a friendly, non-invasive way. 

Blaine was staring at his sister, though, and Camille seemed to sense something because she politely excused herself and followed Finn too, so that she could grab a drink. 

"What was that?" Blaine eventually asked Brooke as he crossed his arms.

"I don't know what you mean." Brooke replied, but the look on her face made it clear that she knew it very well.

"Yes, you do." Blaine said as he glared at her, and Kurt placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping him calm, "I know what you're thinking...and I know how much you disapproved of my lifestyle in Virginia, but you have no right to be passive-aggressive with my friends."

"Passive-aggressive?" Brooke repeated, raising the tone of her voice slightly. "Have you ever stopped to think that I found out that they were coming today for Kurt? That a girl who's been your co-worker for just a few weeks has met your best friends at the same time as me? I'm your sister, Blaine, and I've tried to be nice, but it hurts to feel like you keep shutting me out of your life. You should admit who's disapproving of whom." She looked at him for a second, shook her head and went upstairs. 

Kurt checked that his nephew and niece were still playing quietly and then focused on Blaine. 

"Are you okay?" He asked, raising a hand up to Blaine's face and stroking his cheekbone with his thumb.

"Not really." Blaine said as honestly as he could, "it's like whatever I do, or don't do, she's never going to be on my side."

"Okay, she didn't choose the best time to do this, but she has a point." Blaine looked at him in shock, but Kurt moved his hand to Blaine's mouth for him to let him explain. "The only thing Brooke knows about your past in Virginia is the amount of guys you used to sleep with. Did you really talk to her about Nate and Dylan? You need to share with your sister how important they are to you. And maybe... you should tell her what happened and how much they helped you."

Blaine looked down for a minute, and then flicked his eyes over Kurt's shoulder to see Nate watching him with sympathy. He gave him an encouraging wink, and Blaine sighed. 

"Yeah, maybe I do need to. Is it strange that I'm scared that she blames my lifestyle for what happened?" Blaine asked nervously as he looked back at Kurt.

"Hey, don't say that." Kurt leaned in to kiss Blaine's temple before looking at him again. "Brooke may have a tendency to judge others, but she would never blame you for something like that. The only culprit is in jail."

"Mm-hmm." Blaine looked towards the stairs where his sister had disappeared, and then back to Kurt. "I should probably do this on my own."

"Okay. I'll go with the others. I love you." Kurt said, giving Blaine a smile to try to reassure him.

"I love you too." 

Blaine watched Kurt walk over to Camille and the others, before turning to head up stairs to find his sister. 

As he came to a stop outside her room, he could hear slight sniffles through the open doorway, and then he peaked inside. She was sitting on the bed with a tissue in her hand, staring at the opposite wall. 

"Hey." He started softly, "can I come in?"

"Sure. But if you came here to keep fighting, I don't feel like it. It's your birthday after all, you should be having fun." Brooke replied, still not looking at him.

"No, I don't want to fight. I promise." Blaine stepped into the room and closed the door down. "I think we need to really talk about things. I know there are things you want to say or ask, and I can't keep pushing you away, so..." 

He sat down on the bed beside her and sighed lightly.

She turned to stare at him, wiping one last tear from her face with the tissue. 

"I have nothing against your friends, and I'll apologize to them later for my manners. But... it's so frustrating, Blaine. I just want to feel like I'm a part of your life, not just the older sister who tells you off when you do something that she considers inappropriate."

"I know. But telling you every little detail about my life has only gotten me in trouble with you before, so I tend not to tell you anything anymore. But I know that it's the wrong thing to do." He said honestly, giving her a smile, "the truth is, Nate was my roommate in college for 3 years and now he's my best friend, and Dylan became my friend in my third year and we've been friends ever since."

"So you and they never..." Brooke said, hinting at the same thing Kurt did back in the day, which made Blaine smile.

"No, I never slept with either of them. Not even close." Blaine chuckled as he nudged his sister, "Kurt asked the same thing before. But they're each other's soulmate."

"Wow. Okay, now I feel like an idiot." Brooke said, brushing some invisible lint off the bed. "When Kurt told me that two friends from Virginia were coming to the party, I pictured two lazy-bones you used to get drunk with."

"Well, we did get drunk together a lot, but they're far from lazy. Dyl's a chef and Nate's a history teacher."

"I see. And were they the ones you lived with before you came to New York?"

"Well, I lived on my own after college, and they both got a place together. But...after stuff happened, I moved in with them before I came here."

"What kind of stuff?" Brooke asked, taking Blaine's hand and looking at him worriedly.

Blaine took a deep breath. 

"Nate and Kurt so far are the only people who know absolutely everything." 

He turned to look at his sister, her worried eyes gazing into his nervous ones. 

"You know how I was back then, sleeping with a lot of guys."

"Yeah." Brooke snorted, but then gave him a small smile. "But I've judged enough for today, so I won't say anything. Go ahead."

Blaine gave her a small smile and held her hand. 

"Nate and Dylan were like my wingmen, we went to clubs and bars together all the time. Nate was just like me at first, taking guys home like I did."

Blaine began shaking a little as he became nervous.

"Erm...I had this idea...to go to a different place…and I met someone there."

Brooke noticed the tremor in Blaine's voice and squeezed his hand tighter. 

"Blainey, it's okay. You can tell me."

"His name is Marcus. He was a nice guy at first...I brought him back to mine...we started fooling around and having sex." Blaine paused to swallow the lump in his throat as he retold this story again, "then he started to be a little rougher than I wanted...I tried to get him to stop, but he wouldn't. He grabbed my hair and was pulling me around by it..."

"What?" Brooke's mind was racing, trying to process what Blaine was telling her. Instinctively, she put her free hand on her stomach.

Then he told her everything, from the break in, restraining order and depression all the way up to what happened with Kurt when Nate told him that Marcus had been arrested in New York. 

After he was done, he was silent, breathing a little shakily.

Brooke quickly wiped away her tears before wrapping her arms around Blaine and holding him tightly to her. 

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have gone to Virginia with you. You didn't have to go through something like that alone."

"I'm sorry, I just wasn't in the right head space to bring more people into it, and I didn't want to worry anybody else." Blaine hugged her back, placing his cheek on her shoulder, "me staying with Nate and Dylan nearly destroyed their relationship, I didn't want to make any more drama."

Brooke rested her head on Blaine's, trying to give him as much comfort as possible.

"Your drama is my drama, Blaine. Look, I know we didn't have the best parents in the world, but we pulled through, you and me. You can always count on me, do you hear me? I'm your sister, I'm your family and I would give my life for you. I need you to know that." She stifled a sob and kissed his hair.

"I'm sorry. I love you." Blaine snuggled into her a little more. Even though she was a little smaller than him now, it felt like when he was younger, "I told Kurt about them. Mom and dad."

"You did?" Brooke asked in surprise. "He told me that you found out that he invited them to the party and things didn't go well, but I wasn't sure if you would let him know everything..."

"Yeah, I told him everything."

"I'm so proud of you." Brooke smiled against his head. "What you and Kurt have is special, and I'm glad you're not hiding anything from him. I don't want to scare you, but this kind of story is forever, I'm telling you from experience."

"I know. I dreamed about us with kids." Blaine told her with a laugh, "I'm going to marry him someday." 

They shared a grin and then Blaine stood up, holding out a hand for her. 

"Now come on, let's get back downstairs. I don't want my sister and my soon-to-be-niece-or-nephew to miss the first birthday party I've had in years."

Brooke took his hand, but before Blaine could lead her to the door, she pulled him to into a hug again, kissing his cheeks several times. 

"Okay, now we can go back to your party." She stated, stroking his face.

He smiled as he led her back to everyone else, holding onto her hand. He saw Kurt waiting for him to appear, and when he spotted them, he looked at their hands and smiled. 

Blaine smiled back and headed straight for everyone that was standing and chatting.

"Babe, Finn was telling us about..." Dylan started, but broke off when Brooke grabbed him and Nate and hugged them tightly. 

"Sorry about before... and thank you." She whispered, her head between theirs.

Nate looked up at Blaine, who was smiling at them softly, and then he knew exactly what Blaine had told her, so he hugged her back. 

"You don't have to thank us."

"Oh, yes, I do. Thank you for taking care of my little brother when I couldn't." 

Dylan didn't say anything, just held her tight with a big smile. 

Brooke pulled away and took a deep breath before looking at everyone else. 

"I promise my hormones and I won't interrupt the party again. Finn, can you make me one of your non-alcoholic cocktails, please?"

"Of course I can, my love." Finn gave her a kiss on the cheek before he walked into the kitchen. 

Then Camille took Kurt and Blaine by the arm with a smile, pulling them a bit away from the rest.

"Please tell me why all of the cute guys are gay." She whispered at them, and they both laughed.

"You didn't try to flirt with any of them before you knew it, did you?" Kurt bit his lips to contain more laughter. 

"When Nate walked through the door, I thought I had found the one. I walked over to introduce myself with my best flirting smile, and a second later, Dylan was clinging to him, shamelessly touching his ass." Camille covered her face in shame. "Good thing they're lovely and don't hold a grudge against me for it."

"They're not the type of guys to hold anything against you, you're fine." Blaine told her, "and they both always try to steal Kurt from me, so..."

"And one of these days they might succeed. You haven't seen Nate dance..." Kurt raised his eyebrows playfully before wrapping his arm around Blaine's waist.

"It's my birthday party, the only one that is allowed to be flirted with is me-ah!" Blaine yelled at the end of his sentence because Dylan walked up to him and slapped his ass.

"You missed me?" Dylan hugged him from behind before leaning in to kiss Kurt's cheek. 

"Blaine wants you to flirt with him." Kurt said in explanation, and Dylan's face lit up. 

"Oh, Blainey, have I told you lately how hot you are?" He asked in a low voice, spreading his hands over Blaine's stomach.

"Actually, you tell me that every time you see me." Blaine replied with a laugh.

"Ugh, you're a killjoy." Dylan released him and walked over to Camille. "How do you put up with him? I mean Blaine, Kurt is a baby." 

They suddenly heard the laughter of the kids behind them, and when they turned, they saw Nate, who in his attempt to get close to them had been caught by Anna and Jack, each of them clinging to one of his legs.

Blaine laughed at Nate's uncomfortable face, while Anna and Jack were both giggling. 

"Hey, Anna, guess what?" Blaine called to her, "that's Uncle Blaine's best friend in the whole world."

"Really?" She looked at him excitedly before turning her attention back to Nate. "I'm Uncle Blaine's favorite girl, we should be friends." She decided then, raising her arms for Nate, and Jack imitated her sister.

"Erm..." Nate hesitated, turning nervous eyes up at Blaine, who didn't help him at all and only shrugged.

"Sweetheart, they're just kids. Come on, you're a teacher." Dylan told him, enjoying the situation.

"I teach teenagers." Nate growled as he glared at his boyfriend, "these are tiny."

"You're bad people for not helping him." Kurt approached Nate, trying to stay serious. "Anna, Jack, come here." 

Kurt lifted the two kids without hesitation. 

"Nate, honey, they're not dangerous. Start with this lady." 

Anna, knowing his uncle was talking about her, stretched her arms towards Nate again, making a grabbing gesture with her little hands.

"What if I hurt her?" Nate asked a little warily, as he eyed the little girl stretching for him with a smile.

"She's no longer a baby; I assure you that if you hurt her, she'll tell you. Princess, you very strong, aren't you?" Kurt asked his niece. 

"Yeah! The other day at school, Dave Turner took a book from me, I kicked him and he left crying." Anna told him proudly, and Kurt looked at her with wide eyes. 

"You better not tell Mommy and Daddy that story, okay? Nate, she's all yours."

Nate grabbed her as Kurt plonked her in his arms, and she put her arms around Nate's neck and cuddled him with a giggle. 

"Hey, Anna." He said lightly down to her.

Blaine was trying to hold in giggles with Dylan.

"Hey. You're Nate, right?" She asked, looking at him with her full attention. "You're taller than Uncle Blaine."

"Everybody is taller than Uncle Blaine. You'll be too, in like a year." Nate told her with a smirk, and Blaine glared at him. 

"Hey, it's my birthday, you can't pick on me."

"That excuse is gonna be invalid in a few hours." Kurt whispered, but loud enough for Blaine to hear it. 

"Nate, can you tell us a story?" Anna asked, tugging at his polo lapels. 

"Story!" Jack screamed, bouncing in Kurt's arms.

"What kind of story?" Nate asked curiously, "stories about Uncle Blaine?"

"This is not 'embarrass Blaine day'." Blaine grumbled out, and everyone laughed at him as Finn came back in with Brooke's drink.

"What's going on?"

"Nate was about to tell your kids a 'rated R' story, but I'll take care of it." Kurt said with a chuckle. "Dylan, come here and take Jack. I'll go to their bedroom and bring you one of their favorite books, so you can sit on the couch with them and settle." 

As soon as Dylan had Jack in his arms, who immediately began to touch his face in welcome, Kurt turned to wink at Blaine before disappearing upstairs. 

When he came back to the living room 5 minutes later, he saw Nate and Dylan talking with the kids on the couch; the image was completely adorable. He walked over to give Nate the book and went looking for Blaine, but he only found Camille, Brooke and Finn. 

"Where's the birthday guy?" He asked, stepping between his brother and Camille.

Finn grinned at something Camille said and pointed Kurt in the direction of the kitchen without interrupting the conversation between the three of them.

Before heading to the kitchen, Kurt remembered something and went to get a couple of drinks. Then he walked into the kitchen, and as if it were fate, he found Blaine sitting in the same chair he was in that night. 

"Are you already bored of being the centre of attention?" Kurt smirked, handing him one of the drinks and sitting by his side.

"Sorry, baby, I'm just not used to it." Blaine gave him a small apologetic smile before sipping his drink, "it seems like such a long time ago that we were drinking here, in this very same kitchen."

"I was thinking the same, and when Finn told me you were here, I couldn't resist." Kurt said pointing to the drinks. "A great déjà vu."

"Thank you, by the way, for doing all this." Blaine said as he scooted his chair closer to Kurt's.

"You don't have to thank me, it's been a pleasure." Kurt reached for Blaine's hand and brought it to his lips to kiss the back of it. "And I'm so glad it helped you and Brooke talk."

"Yeah, she made some good points about how much I've pushed her out of my life. I won't do it anymore." Blaine said with a smile, "do you remember the 'Never Have I ever' game we played? So much fun."

"I don't think I'll ever forget it. If we hadn't played that, we might not be like this now." Kurt leaned in and kissed the corner of Blaine's mouth. "We had our first kiss here."

"We did. We also found out a lot about each other." Blaine said as he leaned his cheek against Kurt's, "maybe bad decisions turned out to be the right ones."

"I remember being completely honest with you, and thinking 'why am I opening my heart to someone I don't even know?' And it turns out that someone was going to end up owning it." Kurt smiled and turned his face to look at Blaine. "Kissing you was the best bad decision I've ever made."

Blaine grinned and leaned in to kiss him, cupping his face in both hands.

Kurt hummed against Blaine's lips, before tilting his head slightly so that their mouths fit perfectly.

"Aww, you two are so precious, it makes my stomach hurt." Camille said from the doorway, and they both sprang apart in surprise.

"You should call before entering other people's kitchens, didn't you know?" Kurt laughed, sitting up straight but lacing his fingers with Blaine's.

"Sorry, but I needed to get some ice." Camille chuckled as she walked past them both to the freezer, "pretend I'm not here."

Blaine chuckled darkly at that. 

"If I pretended nobody is here, we'd be doing a lot more than kissing."

"Blaine!" Kurt exclaimed, blushing a little, but he giggled before looking at Camille. "We have a thing with kitchens. God, that didn't sound so bad in my head." 

"Thanks for the information. I'll never go to have dinner at any of your apartments." Camille said with a grimace as she poured a couple of ice cubes into her glass.

"Don't sit on the couches, either." Blaine said nonchalantly as he took another sip of his drink. 

She laughed again.

"Well, this is the perfect time to change the subject." Kurt said, tapping the fingers of his free hand on the table. "Cami, have you ever played 'Never Have I ever'?"

"Of course, it was always my favorite college game." She replied with a smile, and Blaine grinned at Kurt. 

"Maybe we should get everyone to play."

"Oh, that would be interesting." Kurt replied excitedly. "It must be almost bedtime for the kids, so why don't we go back to the living room, eat the cake and tell the others?" 

And they did. By the time Blaine blew out the candles, everyone ate the cake and Blaine opened the gifts from Camille, Brooke, and Finn, Anna and Jack had fallen asleep on the couch, and Finn got up to take care of them. 

Kurt walked over to Brooke, who was sitting on an armchair next to Dylan and Nate. 

"How about we all go crazy and play 'Never Have I ever'?" He asked, looking at everyone. "Your shots would be a 'pregnant lady version', Brooke, don't worry."

"Yeah, only non-alcoholic drinkies for you." Blaine teased with his tongue out, and Brooke flipped him off as he laughed. 

"Sounds like fun, I'm in." Nate said with a grin.

"Me too. Any game that helps me embarrass Blaine sounds great." Dylan added, and laughed when Blaine pouted at him. 

"It's the first time I feel lucky that I can't drink, it's going to be a lot more fun like this." Brooke got up from the armchair. "I'll get the drinks ready while Finn's away."

Blaine flopped down onto the armchair then, next to Dylan, and pulled Kurt down onto his lap. 

"Please don't go on about sex things with my sister around." Blaine looked at his friends with pleading eyes.

"What? You should have told us about that rule earlier, it's funnier that way." Dylan complained. 

"Come on, Blaine, your sister is a grown up woman and she's about to have her third child. How do you think she got pregnant?" Camille snapped, and Blaine hid his face on Kurt's shoulder. 

"Don't traumatize him on his birthday, it's cruel." Kurt said in a small voice, as if talking about a little boy.

"I don't want to know about Finn and Brooke, and I don't want to tell her about my sex life, either." Blaine whined against Kurt's shoulder.

"Shhh, it's okay, baby." Kurt snuggled against him and shot everyone a warning look, but he received three mischievous gazes in response that didn't reassure him too much. 

Then Brooke returned with a smile and a tray in her hands. 

"We have rum, vodka, tequila and non-alcoholic apple liquor, plus seven shot glasses ready." She announced. "Just one kind of booze per person, no mixing. No one vomits in my bathroom but me."

"Sounds like a plan." Nate said as Dylan grabbed the bottle of tequila and grinned at him. 

Blaine shot them both a glare before he took the vodka for him and Kurt, leaving Camille to take the rum.

Finn reappeared and saw everyone sitting with drinks, and he raised a curious eyebrow.

"We're going to play 'Never Have I ever' and we may have to prepare the guest rooms, because I see everyone here very eager to drink." Brooke explained to her husband so casually that Blaine smiled in her direction. 

"Erm... okay, I'll go with the rum." Was Finn's reply, and Camille raised the bottle to him in a toast. 

They were all sat around the coffee table, Kurt on Blaine's lap, Nate and Dylan together on the couch alongside Brooke, and Finn and Camille on a couple of stools. They filled their shot glasses with their chosen booze, and looked at each other expectantly. 

"Alright, Blaine starts." Kurt decided.

Blaine smirked and looked around at everyone. 

"Never Have I ever kissed more than one person in less than 12 hours." He said as his eyes flicked over to his friends. 

Everyone watched as they both took a shot and then poured more tequila into their glasses. 

"Low blow." Dylan said with a wink.

Nate looked at Dylan and mouthed something to him that only he saw.

"Fine, my turn." Dylan said with a chuckle. "Never Have I ever said the wrong name in bed."

Camille was the first to pick up her shot glass and drink, though Nate and Dylan's eyes were on Blaine.

Blaine groaned under his breath, and avoided Kurt's and Brooke's eyes as he leaned to take a drink from his glass.

"Damn you."

"You, I don't want to know." Kurt said, poking a finger into Blaine's side. "But you... who would have guessed." He looked at Camille and laughed.

"It was only once." Camille said unashamed.

Nate grinned as he leaned against Dylan's side and smirked.

"My turn." He announced as he thought about how to say it, "Never Have I ever performed a striptease to a crowd of people while I was drunk."

Kurt looked at Blaine with wide eyes as his boyfriend took another shot and Nate and Dylan were laughing.

"Shut up." Blaine grumbled at them.

"Now I'm jealous, you've never done a striptease to me." Kurt complained. 

"Don't worry, honey, if you want to see it, Nate has it recorded." Dylan told him with a chuckle.

Finn laughed across from them.

"Let me see it."

Blaine placed his head in his hands.

"Okay, I want to see it too." Brooke said, making Dylan clap. 

"Yes ma'am, you have all my respect." He smiled as Nate searched for it in his phone.

Nate grinned as he pressed 'play' and passed the phone to Finn, who stretched over until his wife could watch it too. Everyone else could hear lots of cheering and clapping from the video, and a lot of whistles above thumping music. Nate and Dylan's laughter came through the speakers of the phone as well.

Kurt watched Blaine. His face was completely red and he looked like he was about to run away. 

"I hope you appreciate the fact that I'm resisting the urge to watch it." He whispered to him.

Blaine smiled a little tightly at him.

"If you really want to see me making a fool of myself, now's your chance."

Nate was grinning proudly from the couch as Finn passed the phone to Camille afterwards.

"Nice boxers, Blaine." Camille complimented him. 

"I have to say, I didn't know you had that hips movement in you, little brother." Brooke leaned toward Finn with an amused grin. 

"Okay, enough. You guys are all teasing him for some stupid video." Kurt growled, but he gestured Nate to send the video to him, and Blaine caught him.

Blaine rolled his eyes and smiled a little.

"Thanks for sticking up for me, baby." He said sarcastically.

"Hey, I just want to have it like... well, something to watch every now and then to..." Kurt started to stumble, and Brooke came to his rescue. 

"Don't worry, Kurt, just let it be. It's my turn. Never Have I ever sent hot pictures over the phone."

Nate and Dylan both took a drink, as did Blaine and Finn.

"I'm surrounded by perverts." Kurt said, moving closer to Blaine. "Best of all, Finn drank, so Brooke..." 

"I knew exactly what I was saying." She confirmed with pride.

Blaine made a face as Finn coughed a little, his cheeks a bit red.

"Someone should make Kurt and Brooke drink, they didn't touch their glasses yet." Dylan said. "Finn, we trust you."

Finn smiled over at Dylan, saluting him and then turning to look at his wife and his brother.

"Never Have I ever returned something after I wore it."

"How dare you?" Kurt almost screamed, picking up his glass, totally offended, while Brooke drank hers while muttering 'it was a long time ago'.

Finn only shrugged and smacked Dylan's hand as he held it up for a high five.

Kurt drank and slammed the shot glass down on the table. Blaine leaned over to refill it, looking amused at his boyfriend, and Kurt turned very serious towards him. 

"Don't even think about it, the future of your sex life depends on you not opening your mouth right now."

"Speaking of which..." Camille started. "Never Have I ever had a thing with kitchens."

Kurt mouthed 'bitch' to her as Brooke gave a cry of surprise.

Blaine smirked as he picked up the glass along with Kurt, and was shocked to see Brooke and Finn do the same.

"No!" He yelled out as he put the glass down, "I've been in there."

"Doing what?" Brooke challenged him.

"Oh, I love this game." Dylan muttered, and when Blaine and Kurt looked at him, he raised his hands in innocence. "I'm traditional, I prefer beds."

Then Blaine looked at his sister pointedly.

"Just kissing. I don't even want to know what you did."

Brooke smirked and Finn leaned back on the couch with a cocky expression. 

"Ugh, Finn, don't brag. I'm your brother and I'm right here." Kurt protested, but then he grinned. "Never Have I ever had a nipple piercing."

Nate laughed out loud as he took his glass in hand.

"How did I know that was coming. You're never going to forget that, are you?" He grinned at Kurt.

"No, honey. I think about it every night." Kurt teased, until Blaine started tickling him. "No, no, okay, I'll shut up!"

"So you're that friend... so unfair." Camille grunted.

"You told her about me?" Nate asked Kurt with a smirk, "I must have made quite the impression on you then."

Finn looked between all of them for a second before a curious expression took over his face.

"When did you see this guy naked?" He asked Kurt while pointing to Nate.

"I didn't see him naked." Kurt explained. "Blaine and I were having a video call with Dyl and Nate came out of the shower with only a towel around his waist." 

"Nate's so much better without any clothes on." Dylan clarified, although no one had asked him.

Finn nodded slowly, while Blaine laughed.

"Okay, my turn again." He said as he clapped his hands, "Never Have I ever lied to get someone into my bed."

"Hey, that question is mine! I asked you that when we played on Finn's birthday." Kurt exclaimed. 

"Did you ask each other those kinds of questions? On your own, in our house?" Brooke asked with interest. 

Nate and Dylan, who had taken their respective glasses, stopped halfway, listening to the conversation.

"We played this little game to get to know each other a bit better, I told you that." Blaine explained, "it was only to try to find some common ground."

"Common ground? Ha!" Dylan set his empty glass on the table, and as Nate refilled both, he attacked. "Never Have I ever been so cheap as to make my best friend pay for some sheets." 

Kurt laughed heartily.

"You two fucked in my bed, I wasn't touching those sheets!" Blaine yelled at him as he took a drink.

Kurt put his arm around Blaine's shoulders and looked at Brooke, Finn and Camille. 

"It was Egyptian cotton, it's a sensitive subject for Blaine."

"Egyptian cotton is the only one I can sleep on. It doesn't ruffle or hold the heat in summer." Blaine explained as he refilled his glass, and everyone else snickered around him.

"Mine aren't Egyptian cotton and you've never complained." Kurt whispered in his ear.

"Neither is my kitchen table." Blaine replied with a small smirk.

"Never Have I ever been the subject of a rumor that wasn't true." Nate said, interrupting the laughter.

"Oh my god, I didn't see that one coming, but I love you." Dylan kissed Nate's cheek and stamped into the ground in excitement, waiting for Blaine's reaction.

"You said we would never bring that up again, I can't believe you!" Blaine pointed at his best friend, who just had a feral grin on his face.

"Hey, I can't help that you didn't tell anyone else about it." Nate said with a shrug.

"You two fuckers deserve each other." Blaine glared at both of them as Dylan was still laughing at him too.

He took the glass in his hand, but before he could take a drink, Finn asked, "what rumor?"

"Yeah, baby, what rumor? Now I'm really interested." Kurt looked between Blaine and Nate with a raised eyebrow.

Blaine just stared at Nate and Dylan.

"Don't you dare…"

"I'll tell you." Dylan said, using Nate as a human shield against Blaine. "Blaine had sex with a guy and he kind of fell in love with him, but after Blaine rejected him, he decided to spread the rumor that Blaine had a really small... well, cock. It was like 'if you're not with me, I'll make sure you're with nobody else'.

"That's it!"

Blaine dove for them with a cushion in his hand, beating them both with it as they used their arms to shield themselves.

"Blaine, leave them alone, poor guys!" Brooke exclaimed before starting to cry with laughter.

Kurt sprawled out on the armchair he was sharing with Blaine to laugh his heart out, clutching his stomach.

"Kurt, stop laughing and help us!" Dylan asked, although most of the beats were being taken by Nate.

"Come on, it was just a rumor...it's not true!" Nate said with a laugh as he held his arms over his head while Blaine continued to beat him with the cushion.

"I spent months buried under that rumor, and you didn't have the right to tell everyone about it." Blaine said as he swung the cushion on every word.

Kurt wiped away his giddy tears and finally got up from the armchair. He grabbed Blaine around the waist with his left arm and forced him away from the guys.

"For the record, I solemnly swear that's not true." Kurt said, raising his right hand like he was in court.

"How do we know that you're not just bias because he's your boyfriend?" Finn asked with a chuckle, and Blaine shot him an offended look.

"It's not true." He said as he put his fingers on the zipper of his jeans, "want me to prove it?"

Nate, Dylan and Camille all screamed 'Yes!' as Kurt, Brooke and Finn yelled 'No!'

"Blaine, what the hell?" Brooke groaned, covering her eyes with one hand and reaching to cover Finn's with another.

"You're not gonna prove anything, stop it." Kurt stepped in front of him.

"Kurt, I think for everyone's sake he should show it. I mean, his good name and your sexual satisfaction are at stake." Camille added, tilting her head to try and see if he had really unzipped his jeans.

Blaine stared at Kurt with a grin and winked. He wasn't really going to get his dick out with his sister in the room.

He turned to look at Camille over Kurt's shoulder.

"Nate was my roommate in college, we've seen each other naked. With Dylan, I had to prove it when the rumor started years ago." He told her as both Nate and Dylan nodded, "but I'm afraid my private area is only for Kurt to see from now on."

"Thank you." Kurt pecked his lips and pointed to the armchair for Blaine to sit down so that he could sit back on his lap. "And you..." He added, looking at Camille, "you're sick."

Camille showed him her middle finger with a smile, and Brooke cleared her throat for everyone to listen to her.

"After this nasty moment... Never Have I ever gone days without changing my underwear."

Blaine shook his head as he sat back, pulling Kurt onto his lap a little more. Nate and Dylan were grinning at each other, snuggled together on the couch.

"Spending days without any underwear doesn't count, does it?" Dylan asked.

Finn grumbled slightly as he took up his glass, causing everyone to give him a disgusted look.

He only shrugged as an answer to everyone's stares, and then put his empty glass back down. He glared at his smug looking wife.

"Ew." Blaine mumbled against Kurt's back with a laugh.

"If you had drunk this time, you and I would have been over for good." Kurt told Blaine before grabbing Blaine's arms and wrapping them around his waist.

Blaine chuckled against his shoulder.

Finn was still glaring at his wife.

"Never Have I ever kicked my partner in bed and pretended to be asleep."

Brooke snorted and downed her shot.

"You snore a lot." She explained without a bit of remorse.

"I love that you all know each other so well to throw your dirty laundry in each other's faces." Camille laughed and made a face of concentration. "Never Have I ever gotten horny at work."

Kurt leaned over to pick up his glass casually until he saw Finn staring at him with wide eyes.

"It's his fault." He accused, pointing at Blaine.

Blaine snorted and brought his glass to his lips with a wink to Kurt.

"It works both ways."

"Have you done dirty stuff at work? I'm so proud of you." Dylan picked up his glass as well and clinked it on Nate's before they drank.

"No, we... no." Kurt replied, looking to the floor.

"Not yet." Blaine laughed out, and Kurt smacked one of his arms that was around his waist before looking at Camille.

"Never Have I ever stolen a bra at Victoria's Secret." He said, lightly kicking Camille's leg.

"Oh, please, that's so specific that it's bordering on pathetic. You're vengeful." She drank her shot and laughed.

Blaine laughed and looked at Nate.

"Better than stealing a pair of jeans." He said out loud, and Nate glared at him, "what a thing to have in your past, and now you teach teenagers."

"What? No, Nate, not you. You're the only decent man with a nipple piercing that I know." Kurt joked.

"The worst part is that he still has them." Dylan muttered. "He's reluctant to throw them away, but they're so tight that they're almost indecent, and I'm saying so."

"You're the one that dared me to." Nate glared at his boyfriend.

"Maybe, but you should have looked at the size first." Dylan said. "You should give them to Kurt, they would look good on him."

"Yeah, they would look good on Kurt." Nate agreed, both he and Dylan looking at him now.

Blaine tightened his arms around Kurt and glared at them playfully.

"Stop fantasizing about my boyfriend." He growled out.

"And I love you, guys, but I know you both too well by now and I would never wear Nate's jeans. God knows what you've done with them on." Kurt pressed himself closer to Blaine's chest.

"Don't you think we suddenly have too much information that we shouldn't have?" Brooke asked her husband.

"I think we've surpassed that, my love. There are four gay men in the room talking about sex." Finn laughed as he leaned back and crossed his arms.

"And a very jealous single straight girl." Camille pointed. 

They kept throwing questions at each other for a couple more rounds, until the game turned into a conversation in which everyone talked about their intimacies without any shame. 

At a time when Nate, Dylan and Camille seemed very into a story about Brooke, Finn and a store fitting room, Kurt turned to Blaine. 

"Baby, everything okay?" He asked, stroking Blaine's face.

"Everything's perfect." Blaine replied with a glowing smile, "I could never have imagined a better way to spend my birthday."

"Have you always wanted to spend your birthday getting to know your sister's sexual secrets and sharing yours? You're so weird." Kurt giggled, nuzzling Blaine's cheek.

"No." Blaine chuckled a little and then his face turned serious, "but I've always wanted to be surrounded by my whole family. After everything I went through in my childhood, I thought that I would never have anybody that loved me like my sister."

"Well, look around. We're all here for you." Kurt whispered to him. "Ah, I almost forgot. My dad and Carole asked me to say 'happy birthday' to you on their part. They really wanted to come, but they couldn't make it. There seem to be a lot of people who love you."

Blaine sighed a little and smiled down at his lap. A little bit of blush crawled over his face before he looked back up at Kurt. 

"I never imagined having such an amount of people to call 'family'. And you're a big part of that." He told Kurt, leaning in to place his forehead against his gently.

Kurt smiled and closed his eyes, enjoying the proximity. 

"You know, you always tell me that I'm your everything, but you're my everything too. This is our little family and I love each and every one of them, but you... you're the love of my life."

"Are we being too cheesy?" Blaine asked with a big grin, also closing his eyes and appreciating the intimacy and love radiating from his boyfriend's words.

"We're always too cheesy." Kurt chuckled as he got even closer to Blaine. "Cheesy, funny and incredibly attractive."

"I'm only two of those things...you're the attractive one." Blaine told him with a tiny laugh before pushing through the last inch of distance and closing his lips over Kurt's, keeping the kiss gentle and loving.

Kurt sighed and responded to the kiss, enjoying once again that kisses with Blaine were always something else, something special that made him melt inside. 

Just as Kurt settled himself a little better on Blaine, he noticed two arms around his waist that weren't his boyfriend's. 

"Hey, the private parties will have to wait till later. Camille said we should dance, but of course you guys were too busy to listen to her." Dylan said, practically ripping Kurt out of Blaine's lap, and Kurt could only pout at him.

Blaine was dazed for a second as Kurt was pulled off of him, but then he stood to take his boyfriend back into his arms, pushing Dylan gently away from them both. 

"Fine, we'll dance. But my first dance is with my boyfriend." He stated, and Dylan put his hands up in surrender and walked back to Nate to drag him up to dance as Brooke made Finn turn on some music.

Finn chose a playlist and turned it on at a moderate volume so as not to wake up the kids, and Camille stood up with her phone and began to move among the couples. 

"Well, since it's the first song I'm going to be the camerawoman, but the next one I'll dance it with Nate." She winked at him, and Nate and Dylan broke into laughter as they moved to the beat of the music. 

Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck and looked into his eyes. 

"Thank you for saving me from Dylan. I wouldn't have wanted to miss your first birthday dance." He smiled.

"Me neither. I want to have all my firsts with you, for the rest of my life." Blaine said softly as he moved them around the living room a little in a slow dance.

Kurt gently kissed Blaine's cheek, and lingered there a bit while Camille took a picture of them. Then he pulled away to look into Blaine's eyes again, that pair of honey-colored gems he wanted to lose himself into forever. 

"I can't wait." He leaned in until his lips touched Blaine's, and they kissed while their feet somehow kept moving.

After spending a few minutes dancing to a slow beat and kissing gently with their arms wrapped around each other, they were interrupted by Brooke, who wanted the next dance with her brother. 

Kurt conceded and took Camille's hand to dance with her for the next song, even though she complained that she wanted to dance with Nate. 

Kurt watched Blaine for a while. The big smile on Blaine's face was beautiful and he looked so happy as he was pulled from person to person for a dance. Eventually, Kurt let Camille go to dance with Nate, laughing at her blushing face as Nate kissed her hand first and twirled her around. 

They all spent the rest of the night switching partners and having fun, pausing every now and again to drink and chat. Kurt found himself back in Blaine's arms a few times throughout the night, but he didn't mind every time somebody separated them. He would spend the rest of his life with Blaine, he knew that, so he didn't mind sharing him with their loving extended family.

As Brooke promised, they all spent the night there, having had too much drinks to drive, even though none of them were actually drunk. 

Kurt and Blaine settled into one of the guest rooms, and they got into bed only in their underwear and immediately snuggled together. They wouldn't go further at Brooke and Finn's house, but they wanted to sleep holding each other. 

There was only a minute to midnight, and Kurt whispered 'happy birthday' one last time against Blaine's curls, to which his boyfriend replied with barely a hum as he was almost asleep by then. 

Kurt smiled and pulled Blaine closer to his body, thinking about how funny life was. It had all started in that same house, when two lost people found each other, and their lives took on a new meaning. 

He had dared to question the existence of soulmates, and now, with Blaine between his arms, he knew that they were simply meant to be together forever, and the word 'forever' had never sounded so good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this was the last chapter! But we still have the epilogue ready for tomorrow ;)


	36. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this is the true ending, a last chapter of our guys that we hope you enjoy and serve as closure. We're going to miss them a lot!
> 
> Thanks to all of you who have joined us these weeks and have suffered, laughed and even cried with this story. Thanks for every kudo and comment, it means a lot and encourages us to keep writing.
> 
> Until next time! xx

Kurt was smiling to himself in the mirror of his bedroom, one hand in his pocket twirling the velvet box inside. One year. How had it been a year since that day that he had gone to Blaine's apartment to clarify what was happening between them once and for all? Neither of them knew how it was possible, but it was.

And what a year. Blaine was engrained into every part of his life now. After Blaine's birthday, it was a whirlwind summer filled with laughter and energy, especially during their amazing weekend at Disney, and they were even closer now. 

A few weeks after the party, it was Nate and Dylan's 5 year anniversary, so Kurt and Blaine took a trip to Virginia, and they were the picture of happiness. Although there were two guys waiting for them there, willing to compete with them about being happy.

Nate and Dylan greeted them with hugs and kisses, and they spent the weekend showing Virginia to Kurt. Blaine felt proud of walking down those streets where he had grown up showing off his boyfriend, and at the same time, he felt even closer to Kurt by sharing that part of his life with him.

He even decided to take Kurt to the club he used to frequent with Nate and Dylan. A few people did recognize Blaine, but Kurt was quick to place an arm around him and tell everyone he was Blaine's boyfriend, which made a lot of guys back off. But it also got them a few offers of a threesome.

Blaine's past was still his Achilles heel, but he no longer had any secrets with Kurt.

The next day, they celebrated the impending anniversary with Nate and Dylan's families, at their house. Both sets of their parents were amazingly funny; Nate's dad and Dylan's mom were especially spritely and made Kurt laugh so much. But on Sunday, before they had to go back home, Kurt and Blaine went out for a special lunch with Nate and Dylan.

While Nate thought they were just going to have lunch, they actually ended up at the door of the club he and Dylan were dancing at when they felt the soulmates bond back in college.

Nate didn't understand anything, least of all why a club was open on a Sunday afternoon. Dylan took him inside, followed by Kurt and Blaine, and Nate saw how the dance floor was covered in lilies, his favorite flowers, and when he turned to ask Dylan what was all that about, he saw his boyfriend with tear-filled eyes, a knee stuck in the ground and a box with a ring in his hand. 

Dylan made a special speech, tears running down his cheeks as he asked Nate to spend the rest of his life with him. And as he was actually saying the words, some of the club staff members appeared from the back with a big cake in their hands. On the cake were the words 'Will You Marry Me?', and it was presented to Nate as he started to cry.

Kurt had never seen Nate so emotional before, and Blaine had never seen his best friend cry that much, either. That came as a shock to him as he held Kurt's hand so tightly that he thought he might be hurting him, but if so, Kurt didn't complain. He just got even closer to Blaine, and both their minds had only one thought: they were seeing their future.

With a huge smile on his face, Nate screamed 'Yes!' amongst cheering and applause. He grabbed Dylan and smashed their lips together before Dylan took the ring, and with a watery smile, placed it on Nate's finger.

Blaine and Kurt had happy tears in their eyes as they congratulated the ecstatic fiancés, and when Dylan excitedly jumped on Kurt and whispered 'what about you?' by his ear, Kurt knew perfectly well what he was referring to, and his heart answered for him when he said 'soon'.

Once back home in New York, the next few months of the year flew past. They spent Thanksgiving in Ohio with Burt, Carole, Finn, Brooke and the kids. Brooke was getting bigger; she had glowing skin, a happy smile and a huge baby bump.

Although not everything was good moments; they had fights too. One night, just after New Years, they were curled up on the couch in Blaine's apartment when Kurt told him it was time to go back to his place and Blaine complained, sick of not being able to sleep with his boyfriend every night.

"What's your solution then?" Kurt laughed as he put his shoes on.

"We should live together." Blaine replied seriously.

Kurt snapped his head up and looked at Blaine with a huge grin on his face before throwing himself into his arms and kissing him passionately. Then Blaine laid him down on the couch, quickly getting on top as he started devouring Kurt's neck.

"I can't wait for you to move in with me." He whispered while sucking Kurt's collarbone lightly.

Kurt moaned, tilting his head and giving Blaine more room to kiss.

"And why don't you move in with me?" He gasped.

Five minutes later, there were no more kisses, just two people arguing heatedly.

"My apartment is closer to work."

"But we're not going to work on the magazine forever. Mine is bigger, that's the most important thing."

"Now you want to change jobs too? The bedroom may be bigger, but the kitchen is tiny."

"You don't like my kitchen? You didn't say that every time we've..."

"Don't even think about using sex against me! Did you hit your head or something?"

"Stop yelling at me!"

"You're yelling at me too! But if we can't agree on this, maybe we shouldn't live together!"

"Maybe not!"

They looked at each other, feeling a sadness inside that they didn't expect. The idea of living together had been on their minds since practically the beginning of their relationship, as far-fetched as that sounded, but now that it seemed a reality, it had barely lasted a few minutes. But those minutes had changed everything, because now living apart didn't seem enough anymore, for either of them.

Blaine closed the distance between them and took Kurt's hands in his.

"You don't want to live with me anymore?" He asked him quietly.

"Of course I do." Kurt admitted. He rested his forehead on Blaine's and took a deep breath. "If it's that important to you, I'll move in."

"What if we both move? What if we find a place where we both start from scratch together?"

The next few weeks were spent searching for a new apartment. That led to stress and a few more small fights, but nothing that wasn't immediately resolved when one of them held the other in his arms.

Finally, they found the perfect place, halfway between their previous apartments. The move kept them busy, as did agreeing on which of each of their furniture to keep. Kurt had an insane amount of clothes that didn't leave too much room in the closet for anything else, and Blaine loved what Kurt defined as 'absurd stuff that just take up space'.

However, the day they finally walked through that door together, Blaine's clothes were neatly placed next to Kurt's, just like the rest of his things. They didn't lose their smiles, too happy to finally be at their home, where they would begin a new and exciting chapter of their relationship.

The cohabitation was surprisingly easy, although since they exchanged the keys to their apartments, they had practically lived together, just in two different places.

Sleeping together every night and waking up together every morning was their favorite part. And things were going really well. They knew each other's morning and nighttime routines by now, having stayed over with one another many times. They were happy with their home. A home together.

They decided that it was a silly expense to go to work in both their cars, so they went together every day, taking turns. If that brought out any comments about them at work, they didn't hear them. Camille and Jonathan knew it and a lot of people seemed to suspect it, but they never said anything directly to them, and that was good enough.

Another advantage of living together was that neither of them felt that need to constantly search for each other at work. They didn't have to have lunch together every day, and Blaine didn't sneak out to Kurt's office as often anymore for moments alone, though these didn't totally disappear, especially the day Blaine was on his way to the dining room and got a text from Kurt.

\- I finally remembered to bring one of the bottles of lube from home and keep it carefully in my desk drawer... unless you don't need to have lunch today and want me to take it out ;) -

Blaine didn't hesitate to turn around, and almost smashed the door of Kurt's office when he entered.

They spent more time with Brooke and the kids as she got bigger and closer to her due date. Finn was worried about her being on her feet all day, so Kurt and Blaine became staple babysitters in the house, and many days they picked both children up from pre-school and Kindergarten for Brooke because she was too tired.

But Kurt had to be a mediator between Blaine and Brooke sometimes, because they would complain to each other about everything the other did. Blaine would still keep on complaining about his sister at home as well, and Kurt was starting to get a little annoyed with both of them. 

So another important moment of that first year together was a Friday night that they went out to dinner and watch a movie. Despite sharing an apartment, neither of them wanted to miss their Friday dates, and they kept them religiously.

They left the restaurant and started walking to the movies, holding hands.

"On Monday after work, we need to do some shopping. We can't keep living without eggs, flour and rice." Kurt said nonchantaly.

"What did we say about having domestic conversations on date night? It's not romantic." Blaine whined. 

"It's also not romantic that I can't make you a decent breakfast tomorrow. Besides, I thought you wanted to try making cupcakes." 

"Okay, we'll go to the grocery store on Monday." Blaine sighed.

"And we have to call the power company, we've already had two blackouts this week." Kurt told him then.

"Yes, wifey." 

"Go to hell." Kurt growled.

Blaine burst out laughing, and Kurt simply imitated him. Before he could remind Blaine of the need to do laundry that weekend, Blaine's phone rang. He checked the screen and put it back in his pocket.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Kurt asked.

"It's Brooke, but it's our date night and I don't want to hear how sick she is of lying down all day, how badly she sleeps or how awfully Finn cooks." Blaine said in explanation, wrapping his arm around Kurt's waist and pulling him closer.

Then it was Kurt's phone that rang.

"Don't pick it up."

"Blaine..."

"Don't pick it up, don't pick it up, don't pick it up." Blaine grabbed Kurt by the lapels of his jacket and gently dragged him towards a wall between two closed shops. There weren't many people around them, so Blaine just started kissing him.

"Baby, not on the street..." He said against Blaine's lips. "It was only twice, it won't always work for you... I'm going to pick up the phone."

Kurt chuckled as he finally managed to take his phone and answer the call. 

"Finn, hey... oh my!" Kurt yelped when Blaine nibbled on his jaw, and he gave his boyfriend a giggling punch on the shoulder to push him away. "I'm sorry, Finn, I'm listening. What? Where are you? Okay, calm down, we'll go right away."

Kurt hung up the phone and looked at Blaine with wide eyes. 

"Brooke's in labor, we have to go to the hospital."

Four hours later, Kurt and Blaine met their new little niece, a beautiful baby with rosy cheeks and huge brown eyes.

Maisie Hudson.

When they came into the hospital room, Brooke looked tired but happy. She was cuddling her older children close to her on the bed, and Anna and Jack were getting sleepy along with their mother. Finn handed little Maisie to Uncle Blaine first, and Blaine took the baby very carefully, as if he feared she would break in his hands. He was amazed at how tiny she was, and held her close to his chest.

Kurt watched him with a soft smile, imagining exactly what it would be to see Blaine with one of their children someday.

"I couldn't come to the hospital when Anna and Jack were born, so I could never hold them when they were so tiny." Blaine said softly, afraid to startle the little girl, who was sleeping peacefully. "Isn't this the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" 

"Totally." Kurt replied, although he wasn't referring to Maisie, but to the image of Blaine with a baby in his arms.

Blaine noticed the emotion in Kurt's voice and raised his head.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked him with a smile.

"I want one." The words slipped from Kurt's lips.

"One what?" Blaine frowned at him.

Kurt pointed at Maisie, and Blaine's heart skipped a beat. God, he wanted it too. One, two and as many as Kurt wanted.

"Okay, but I have to make you my husband first." He said.

Kurt was still in a bit of love struck shock and awe when it came his turn to hold the baby. He cradled her close and smelled her hair before placing a small kiss against her soft forehead. He saw Blaine watching him with a grin, and he leaned against his side so they could both watch their new niece sleeping in Kurt's arms.

That was exactly what they both wanted.

Blaine's words made a dent in Kurt that night, and when their first anniversary came a few months later, he was so happy and everything between them was so natural, as if they were really born to be together, that he had a very clear idea.

During their anniversary dinner date, he would propose to Blaine.

Currently, it was 7:04pm, and he was waiting for Blaine to come out of the bathroom. They were both already dressed, but Blaine wanted to style his hair a certain way tonight, and he made Kurt wait in their bedroom.

"Sweetheart? We have to go in 5 minutes." Kurt called out after hearing a crash from the bathroom. 

"Yeah, I know, one moment." Came the muffled reply, and Kurt chuckled to himself.

After about 30 seconds, the bathroom door opened and Kurt's mouth dropped open at the sight. Blaine had only lightly moussed the curls on his head, that over the last few months had grown a little longer, and now they hung over his forehead in a bad boy-esque kind of way. Kurt really liked it. 

"Honey, you look amazing." He groaned out, his fingers itching to touch the curls now, and Blaine laughed as he pulled the lapels of his suit jacket into place again. 

"Thank you, darling. Ready to go?" 

"Totally ready." 

Blaine grinned at him and reached for Kurt's hand so that they could walk out together. Their new apartment was only a short walk away from their favorite restaurant, so they walked the two blocks to it hand in hand, as they always did now. Kurt still fiddled with the velvet box in his pants pocket along the way, trying to hide his nervousness by taking slow, silent breaths through his nose. 

"Can you believe what a crazy year it's been?" Blaine asked as they walked along, and Kurt smiled at him. 

"Actually, no. It's been really crazy." He laughed as Blaine nodded, "but incredible too."

Blaine pulled their joined hands up between them and placed a small kiss on the back of Kurt's. 

"Yeah, it's been amazing." He whispered, and Kurt could only smile as they rounded the last corner before reaching the front doors of the restaurant. 

The hostess was nice as she led them to a table. Blaine pulled Kurt's chair out and Kurt rolled his eyes fondly before sitting, the hostess smiling at them before handing them the menus. 

"You know, Camille's been texting me every night this week, asking if we can go to that new bar that's opened." Blaine said with a small chuckle as he and Kurt stared over the menus. 

"She's been bugging me too." Kurt replied, "oh, by the way, Brooke wants us to go around for dinner on Wednesday, but also she and Finn need a date night soon, so she wants us to watch the kids again." 

"Great. Maisie is so adorable." Blaine sighed lightly, and Kurt laughed. 

"Only because you're her favorite Uncle. All she does is cry to me." 

Blaine laughed happily and poked his tongue out at Kurt, receiving a little menacing glare in return. When the hostess came back to take their order, she brought over a bottle of champagne for them, and Kurt raised an eyebrow as he looked between it and Blaine. 

"Did we order that?" 

"I did." Blaine smiled at him as he took the bottle from her with a 'thank you' and poured out two glasses, handing one to Kurt, "happy anniversary, baby." 

"Happy anniversary, sweetheart." Kurt replied with his own smile, and as Blaine took a sip of his drink, Kurt's hand flew to his pocket where the ring box was. 

Before he could bring it out, though, he was interrupted by Blaine's phone ringing. The moment he felt crawling up his spine was gone now, so his hand left his pocket as Blaine pulled out his phone and grinned. 

"It's your dad." He said before answering, "Hey, Burt." 

Kurt looked a little bemused while Blaine happily chatted to his father across the booth, and shook his head lightly as he took a sip of the champagne. Wow, that was good. 

"Yes, I know." Blaine continued, "there wasn't really any doubt about it." 

Kurt raised an eyebrow in curiosity. What could his dad and Blaine possibly be discussing?

"I know, thank you." Blaine laughed at something Burt said on the line, before glancing at Kurt's impatient face and then saying his goodbyes. "He's a wonderful man, your father." 

"He is. What was that about?" Kurt asked, thoroughly confused. 

"Oh, nothing." Blaine waved it off, and Kurt was about to ask more questions but their food arrived at the table, prompting him to keep his mouth shut for the time being.

The food was delicious, like every time they'd been to that restaurant, and it helped Kurt temper his nerves a bit. But when they both finished eating, and while Blaine was telling him something about a really cute toy store he had discovered near work where they should go and buy Maisie something, Kurt started mentally preparing himself again. 

"Kurt, darling, are you listening to me?" Blaine asked, looking at him with concern. 

"Yeah, I'm sorry." Kurt smiled, reaching back into his pocket. "Look, I know we said 'no anniversary gifts' because we both agreed to save money to buy that wonderful couch we saw in that store, but I have something for you tonight." 

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Blaine, I..." 

"Blaine?" 

Kurt raised his head at the sound of that voice, and saw a guy by their table who was grinning widely at Blaine. 

No, not another Blaine's fuck, least of all one who interrupted him while he was about to propose. 

"James! Good to see you. How are you?" 

"I'm fine, man, what about you?" 

"I'm great." Blaine smiled at him and turned to Kurt. "Babe, this is James, we worked together before I was in the magazine. James, this is Kurt, my boyfriend." 

"Nice to meet you, Kurt." 

So he was just a former co-worker... but Kurt still secretly hated him for his bad timing. 

"Nice to meet you too." He said with his best fake smile. 

"What a coincidence, I'm here to have dinner with my girlfriend and... I'm just watching her coming." James said, looking out the window that was right next to them, and Kurt and Blaine saw a blonde girl waving at him. "It was great to see you, Blaine. Give me a call one day and we'll catch up, okay?" 

"Sure, count on it." 

Blaine smiled at him and James said 'goodbye', leaving them alone again. 

"Not even when he said he had a girlfriend you stopped murdering him with your eyes. Do you still get jealous even though we have been together for a year?" Blaine teased him.

"No, I promise you that's not the case this time." Kurt groaned. He no longer had to hide his discomfort. "It's just that..." 

"Kurt, it was a joke. And I know you wanted to say something before James showed up, but I think I have the solution to that frown of yours. I..." 

"Baby, excuse me for a second, I need to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." 

Kurt got up from the table and went quickly to the bathroom, closing the door behind him and looking in the mirror. 

Two interruptions... was that fate telling him that it wasn't a good idea? Was it too early to propose to Blaine? 

No. Something inside him just knew that. Time was something subjective when it came to soulmates, and he and Blaine would be together forever. He wasn't going to let fear or some inconvenient third-party interventions change his mind. 

Kurt refreshed his face and the back of his neck, and after making sure that the box was still in his pocket, he returned to the table much calmer and with a great smile again.

"You okay?" Blaine asked as Kurt sat back down, and he reached across the table to grab his hand. 

"I'm fine, honey." 

"I hope you don't mind, but I asked for the check." Blaine said with a small smile, "I would rather spend the rest of our anniversary in private, wouldn't you?" 

Kurt mimiced Blaine's smile as he leaned over the table to give him a light kiss. 

"Yeah, I would love to spend the rest of the evening tucked up under a blanket on the couch with you." 

When the hostess brought over the check and Blaine paid for their meal, they left together, hand in hand. Once they were outside and walking back home, Blaine slipped his arm through Kurt's and sighed as he leaned against him. 

"It's such a beautiful night. Everything feels so perfect and wonderful." Blaine did that soft low thing with his voice again, and Kurt inwardly moaned before a rushing warmth came over him.

There was no need to wait for a special moment; he could do it right here, right now. He paused in his steps, pulling Blaine to a stop beside him about a block from their apartment, and his boyfriend gave him a curious gaze. 

"Kurt, is everything alright?" 

Kurt slipped his arm out of Blaine's and pulled him over to the side of the street, making him stand there and face him before taking a deep breath.

"Blaine, you're right. It's such a beautiful night and everything feels so perfect and wonderful, but... everything is actually so perfect and wonderful since you came into my life." 

Kurt's heart was hammering inside his chest, and he feared it would jump out of his body at any moment. 

"I remember being more terrified than ever when it was up to me that we were together, because what I felt for you was so intense that I didn't know how to control it. But I also knew that no one was worth the risk so much. You're amazing… you light up my days, and make me feel so loved and protected. I've never felt so close to anyone and I never will, because you're my person, my one true love, my soulmate. And for that..." 

Finally, Kurt took the velvet box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing the ring he had bought weeks ago. 

"Blaine Devon Anderson, will you marry me?"

Blaine stared with wide eyes between the ring box and Kurt's face, completely dumbstruck and in awe. His eyes crinkled around the edges as he gave Kurt that bright sunny smile that, over the past year, Kurt had come to know as his extremely happy smile. 

He placed a hand over his mouth as a little chuckle came out of it, and shook his head in astonishment. 

"Oh, baby…" He started softly as he walked forward, "I can't believe it... I really can't." 

Kurt stared at him, confused for a second, before he watched Blaine reach into his own pants pocket and pull out a similar looking little black box. 

"You won." Blaine said with the same smile on his face as he burst with excitable laughter, "of course, darling...of course I'll marry you." 

He dove for Kurt then, having to catch his boyfriend-just-turned-fiancé as he melded their lips together.

Kurt allowed himself to be carried away by the kiss until a few seconds later he pulled away, trying to understand what was happening.

"You... you were you going to propose to me too?" He asked, his eyes full of happy tears and his hands on Blaine's shoulders.

"Yeah. I was about to do it after we finished dinner, but you got up to the bathroom and...

"I went to the bathroom because I was going to propose to you before your friend interrupted me. By the way, when you talk to him, apologize for me. I've been rude and he must think your boyfriend is a jerk."

"Fiancé. You're not my boyfriend anymore, you're my fiancé." Blaine corrected him with a watery smile.

"Right, fiancé." Kurt smiled, letting the word settle inside him. "Whatever, the thing is I got mad because it was the second time I tried and was interrupted. The first one was when my dad called you, and..." He cut himself off, and then he realized something. "What did my dad call you for?"

"I spoke with him weeks ago. I told him that I wanted to propose to you and asked for his blessing. After laughing at me for that, he said that of course I had his blessing, and asked when I was planning to do it. I told him that it would be at our anniversary dinner, so he called me to see if I had already done it or if I had changed my mind, and to repeat what would happen to me if I screwed things up."

"I can't believe it..." Kurt murmured, shaking his head. "We both had the same idea."

"And it pains me to admit it, but you said you would do it first and you got it." Blaine leaned in to kiss him again, but Kurt stopped him.

"Wait, wait, I haven't even put the ring on you!" Kurt exclaimed. "Ugh, and I forgot to kneel, and... did I really propose to you on the middle of the street? I wanted it to be special, I..."

"Wow, Kurt, darling, slow down." Blaine cupped Kurt's face in his hands to cut off his chatter and force him to look at him. "You, the love of my life, just asked me to marry you on our anniversary night, after spending the best year of my life by your side. Do you really think I need something special? You're that something special and I already have you, so I don't need more. Although I would appreciate it if you put that ring on me, because I want to put yours on too."

Kurt laughed, and after wiping a couple of tears from his cheeks, he took the ring with a shaking hand and slid it on Blaine's finger, and seconds later, Blaine did the same.

Then they looked into each other's eyes, and the rest of the world didn't exist around them anymore. There was only them and what they had.

"I love you so much, Blaine."

"I love you so much too, Kurt."

Blaine kissed him again, grabbing him by the waist and lifting him off the ground as Kurt giggled without separating his lips from Blaine's. 

Blaine was right, he thought. It was them, so it had been special.


End file.
